Triple Click

It's time for an AI check-in! Maddy, Kirk, and Jason catch up on how they're feeling about generative AI in 2026, what it's doing to creativity, how it's impacting the job market, and of course, how it's affecting video games.  One More Thing: Kirk: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman) Maddy: Slay the Princess Jason: American Pastoral (Philip Roth) LINKS: Adam Neely’s video “Suno, AI Music, and the bad future” “AI As Normal Technology” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor   Astrophysicist Minas Karamanis’ blog post “The machines are fine. I’m worried about us” “Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?” by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz for The New Yorker “Fabienk” and “Sarniezz” by Angine de Poitrine from Vol. II, 2026 Watch Angine de Poitrine live on KEXP The NYT reviews Dungeon Crawler Carl 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to take some of your questions on all sorts of things. How do you deal with a creatively unfulfilling job? Why don't more game studios allow employees to work remotely? And is it worth buying a Switch 2 now before it inevitably gets more expensive, even if you're on the fence? One More Thing: Kirk: Weapons (2025) Maddy: “Iran,” Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2014) Jason: People of Note 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's the deal with Early Access? What are the pros and cons? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about all the ins and outs of what it means to sell an early, unfinished game, from Baldur's Gate 3 to Star Citizen and so much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Contrapoints on Saw (YouTube) Maddy: Beyond Good & Evil (2003) Jason: Wonder Man (Disney+) 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Esoteric Ebb: bad name, great game. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy dive into this new Disco-like where you play as a cleric tasked with investigating the explosion of a tea shop in a fantasy world where the voices in your head are D&D attributes. It's a lot of fun. One More Thing: Kirk: Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir) (Ray Porter Audiobook) Maddy: 30 Rock Jason: Void Stranger LINKS: “Norvik” from Esoteric Ebb composed by Anders Bach, Brian Batz, and Kristian Paulsen 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Is it just us, or has this console generation been... weird? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy assess the current state of console gaming on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. They talk about diminishing returns on graphics, the huge leaps in pricing, and why it'd be bonkers if the PS6 came out next year. One More Thing: Kirk: Resident Evil 4 Remake Maddy: Pokopia Jason: Ratcheteer DX 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the listener mailbag to answer some of your questions! When should you let kids start playing video games? What gaming terms should be more mainstream? And what do you do when you're just too old for this shit? One More Thing: Kirk: Hunchback (Saou Ichikawa) Maddy: How To Get To Heaven From Belfast Jason: Pokopia LINKS: "Cereal In My Mouth," archived from dog.gawker.com NYT coverage of the couple who got married at Bad Bunny’s halftime show Kirk’s theme song for “The Distraction” - Bandcamp/YouTube “It’s Too Late” by Bob Mould from Black Sheets of Rain, 1990 “Go” (Last Week Tonight Theme) by Valley Lodge from Use Your Weapons, 2013 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click gang pull out their blood harvesters for a trip into Resident Evil Requiem, the latest entry in the longrunning horror-action-goofball series. They talk about playing as Grace and Leon, exploring the care center and all the shades of Resident Evil 2. One More Thing: Kirk: Your Name (2016) Maddy: “The Pill” by Meg Elison Jason: Esoteric Ebb 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason dive into the year's biggest gaming news so far: Xbox boss Phil Spencer retiring. They talk about what led to this big shakeup, discuss whether new boss Asha Sharma really needs to be a gamer, and try to figure out if there's any way to salvage the Xbox brand. One More Thing: Kirk: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO) Maddy: Icebreakers (New Yorker documentary) Jason: Under the Island  LINKS: "Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up" (Tom Warren / The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/tech/883015/microsoft-xbox-new-ceo-shakeup-notepad 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Fresh off their interview with Mewgenics co-creator Edmund McMillen, the Triple Click gang dives into the game itself. They talk about the gross-out humor, the brilliant combat, and that truly spectacular soundtrack. (All of my nights, I'm chasin' rats!) One More Thing: Kirk: Suno, AI Music, and the Bad Future - Adam Neely, YouTube/Nebula Maddy: Overwatch update Jason: Lost Lambs (Madeline Cash) LINKS: “Eatin’ Rats” by Ridiculon from the Mewgenics OST, 2026 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy bring on veteran game designer Edmund McMillen (Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy) to talk about his latest game, Mewgenics, which was first announced in 2012 (!) and is out this week. They talk about the long development cycle, why McMillen parted ways with his Team Meat partner Tommy Refenes, breeding cats, and much much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Cairn Maddy: Code 3 (2025) Jason: The Chair Company (HBO) 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk dive into Dragon Quest, one of the biggest video game franchises in Japan. What's special about it? What makes it so popular? And what's the deal with this week's release, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined? One More Thing: Kirk: Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple) Maddy: Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator Jason: How I Met Your Mother LINKS: “I Am Jack Bauer” - Japanese 24 Advertisement “Dragon Quest Theme” by Koichi Sugiyama, from DQ7 Reimagined (2026) and recorded by the Tokyo Strings Orchestra, 1986 “Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the best way into Dragon Quest” by Michael McWhertor, Polygon 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about mods in video games: the history of the form, their favorite mods, and how cool it is that video games can be altered, expanded, and changed by players in all sorts of ways, from DOOM to Skyrim to explicit sex scenes in The Sims. One More Thing: Kirk: The Fireman (Joe Hill) Maddy: Platonic Jason: TR-49 LINKS: Maddy’s Mothership article about people who mod games 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about what's been going on in the film and television business over the last few years: why Hollywood is in a scary spot, how covid affected it all, the parallels with the video-game industry, and of course, the big old AI question mark. One More Thing: Kirk: Rhythm Doctor Maddy: 2001: A Space Odyssey Jason: Circe (Madeline Miller) LINKS: STRONG SONGS LIVE!! Saturday, July 11, at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. Buy tickets here Gunpoint & Tactical Breach Wizards dev Tom Francis’s advice for running a sustainable indie studio Maya Hawke talking about Netflix’s lack of transparency on Search Engine Chris Hayes’s book The Siren’s Call: How Attention Became The World’s Most Endangered Resource Excerpts from the Rhythm Doctor OST - “All The Times” by fizzd with lyrics by Winston Lee 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to answer your burning questions about all sorts of things, from the gambling epidemic to our favorite funny bugs. And the burningest question of all: What do you do when your dog hates your Switch 2? One More Thing: Kirk: Skate Story Maddy: Mothership Jason: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) LINKS: Subscribe to Maddy’s new website Mothership!!  Drew Gooden’s video about online gambling Jason’s Bloomberg column on the misreported GTA VI rumors Kirk’s newsletter about podcasting’s pivot to video “Coastal” by Blood Cultures from the Skate Story OST 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go back through 2025's predictions to see who won the annual bet, then make some new predictions for the year to come! One More Thing: Kirk: The Rose Field (Phillip Pullman) Maddy: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Jason: That’s Not How It Happened (Craig Thomas) PREDICTIONS:  JASON: Game: Chrono Trigger Grand Theft Auto VI will have an in-game interactive version of TiktokPersona 6 will be announcedXbox will announce that first-party games will no longer be day 1 on Game PassSteam Machine will slip to June or laterAnother Elden Ring DLC or sequel will be announcedDanganronpa 2X2 will secretly be Danganronpa 4Another Zelda remake will be announcedOne of this year's GOTY candidates at The Game Awards will be 2D (or HD-2D)Final Fantasy XIV will be overhauled againMarathon will peak at less than 10,000 concurrents on SteamBONUS: EA will sell or shut down BioWare / EA will announce BioWare 2 KIRK Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Square will announce… Final Fantasy VII ReturnGTA VI will feature a character based on Charlie KirkAll three consoles - Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch - will get a price increaseA Roblox game will be nominated for a Game AwardValve will announce a new non-VR Half-Life GameSony will announce a new PlayStation PortableIn Fable, you will be able to plant an acorn and have it grow into a treeTeam Cherry will make The Knight playable in SilksongXbox game pass will come to PlayStation or SwitchNintendo will announce a Star Fox movieBONUS: Epic will add Joe Biden to Fortnite MADDY GAME: Bioshock In Grand Theft Auto 6, Lucia will be revealed to be queer / not only attracted to menLeon Kennedy is going to turn out to be Grace’s dad in Resident Evil RequiemA triple-A game advertisement will brag that the game doesn’t use generative AILaura Kinney, aka X-23, will have a cameo in the Wolverine gameThe Switch 2 will get a $50 price increasePhil Spencer will step down as CEOHalo will come to SwitchFF7 Remake part 3 will get a release dateWaluigi will be in the Mario movie sequelLuigi’s Mansion 4 will be announcedBONUS: Nintendo will announce a Metroid film 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk have left the temple of time, set out across Hyrule, and defeated the evil Ganondorf.  They can finally go back to being kids again… but will they ever truly be the same? LINKS, ETC: “Ocarina of Time End Credits” by Koji Kondo, 1998 Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason cap off 2025 with a hearty discussion of the year's best games. One More Thing: Kirk: The Onion (Print Edition) Maddy: Hedda (2025) Jason: Chronoquartz LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ GAMES OF THE YEAR Kirk: Dispatch Sunderfolk Blue Prince Split Fiction News Tower Donkey Kong Bananza Hollow Knight: Silksong The Roottrees Are Dead Kingdom Come Deliverance II The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Jason: Dispatch Blue Prince Hollow Knight: Silksong The Roottrees are Dead The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Avowed Nurikabe World The Séance of Blake Manor Strange Jigsaws Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Maddy: Blue Prince Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Consume Me Death Stranding 2: On The Beach Elden Ring: Nightreign (w/ Yeui’s Multiplayer Mod) Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Keeper Hollow Knight: Silksong The Séance of Blake Manor 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk through this year's Game Awards show, from the big reveals (Star Wars! Divinity!) to the Clair Obscur sweep. They talk about what the show did well, what sucked, and why they chose to end on a hero shooter. Plus: some quick thoughts on Netflix buying Warner Bros.! One More Thing: Kirk: School Announcements Maddy: Masters of Doom by David Kushner (2003) Jason: Pluribus  LINKS: Jason talks to Swen Vincke: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-12-16/-baldur-s-gate-3-maker-promises-divinity-will-be-next-level?srnd=undefined “Hundred Days,” “Invasion,” “Midnight” by Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda from The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk put on their Varia Suits for a dive into Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the latest adventure of bounty hunter Samus Aran. They talk about how this fourth entry has evolved the series, what they like (and don't like) about the game, and that dreadful desert. One More Thing: Kirk: Death By Lightning (Netflix) Maddy: Metropolis (1927), as re-edited in 1984 by Giorgio Moroder Jason: Wellness (Nathan Hill) LINKS: Metroid Prime 4:Beyond original score excerpts composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano “Death By Lightning” by Ramin Djawadi from Death By Lightning, 2025 “Call Me” by Debbie Harry & Giorgio Moroder; performed by “Blondie” aka Debbie Harry & a studio band feat. Harold Faltermeyer on keys “Death of the Author: An Alan Wake Series Retrospective” by Noah Caldwell-Gervais: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRh3r_AhUw0 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Will Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweep The Game Awards? Why was Blue Prince snubbed? And does The Burnt Peanut have a chance against Sakura Miko? This week, the Triple Click gang makes their predictions for Gaming's Biggest Night, from Game of the Year to... "Best Ongoing." One More Thing: Kirk: The Night Watchman (Louise Erdrich) Maddy: System Shock (2023 remake) Jason: Megabonk LINKS: “Flying Waters - Rain from the Ground” by Lorien Testard from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Kirk’s 2015 story about Nightdive’s failed attempts to remake No One Lives Forever: https://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind-a-dead-pc-game-that-cant-come-back-1688358811 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What would Triple Click do if they had the chance to buy pieces of EA? Why do so many people talk about games before finishing them? How do patches impact the way we experience games? All those and lots more questions on this week's Thanksgiving special Burning Questions. One More Thing: Kirk: Fela Kuti: Fear No Man Maddy: Secure Boot settings Jason: 1929 (Andrew Ross Sorkin) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk has really been enjoying the medieval role-playing game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, but Maddy and Jason both weren't playing, so he didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Hoever, some of his non-podcaster friends were playing the game, too. One thing led to another, and they wound up recording this special episode about it. ABOUT THE GUESTS: TOM BISSELL is an author and screenwriter. He has published loads of books including Extra Lives, Magic Hours, and Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve. He's also written for video game series like Uncharted and Gears of War and wrote the final three episodes of Star Wars: Andor. MATTHEW SEIJI BURNS  is a writer, musician, and game designer. He worked on AAA series like Halo and Call of Duty before moving to Zachtronics, where he helped make games like Opus Magnum and Eliza, the latter of which he also directed. He is the author of the 2025 novel Process. Together, Tom and Matthew wrote the 2015 interactive fiction game The Writer Will Do Something, which remains (in this episode notes writer's opinion) one of the definitive encapsulations of working as a writer in video games. Seriously, go play it. LIAM MCINTYRE is an actor who has appeared in a variety of programs - among other roles, he was the lead in Starz's Sparticus: Vengeance, and played Weather Wizard in the CW's The Flash. As a voice actor, he's played everyone from Captain Boomerang to Marcus Fenix's son JD, and will play Logan himself in Insomniac's upcoming game Marvel's Wolverine. LINKS ETC. SkillUp’s KCD2 Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wFHtqKYMaM “Saint Barbara Theme,” “Welcome to Troskovice,” by Jan Valta & Adam Sporka from the KCD2 Original Soundtrack Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/   🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk have played through all of Dispatch, the new narrative superhero game from a crew of former Telltale directors, and there's a whole lot to discuss. They share their thoughts on the game, disclose whether they picked Invisigal or Blonde Blazer, and talk about what makes it all work so well. First section is spoiler-free, then they get into spoilers later on! One More Thing: Kirk: Oathbringer (Brandon Sanderson) Maddy: News Tower Jason: Kingdoms of the Dump LINKS: One More Thing Timestamp: 57:55 Dispatch episode one gameplay excerpts featuring Robert Robertson (Aaron Paul) and Blonde Blazer (Erin Yvette) Jason’s Bloomberg News interview with Dispatch director Nick Herman Excerpts from the Dispatch score, composed by Andrew Acradi “Kissing Someone Else” by Caroline Kingsbury Excerpts from the News Tower score by Bart Van de Sande, Jack Van de Ven feat. New Cool Collective News Tower: Behind the Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbPllfsoPG8 Play Molleindustria’s New York Times Simulator: https://molleindustria.itch.io/the-new-york-times-simulator Play Lucas Pope’s The Republia Times: https://www.dukope.com/trt/play.html Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason bring on special guest Cameron Kunzelman to talk about this year's suite of roleplaying games, from Avowed to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to The Outer Worlds 2. They also talk about Assassin's Creed's pivot to RPGs, what an RPG even is, and much more. Plus: Steam Machines! One More Thing: Kirk: Do The Right Thing (1989) Maddy: Anniversaries Jason: King Sorrow (Joe Hill) LINKS: Cameron’s new Assassin’s Creed book: https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517914943/everything-is-permitted/ The Ranged Touch network, with a bunch of his podcasts: https://rangedtouch.com Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk are all playing The Séance of Blake Manor, a new detective game about a spooky manor full of — OOOOOOOOHHHHH — Kirk, stop it. They talk about the game's unique time mechanic, how it plays with deduction, and of course, lots of spooky ghosts. One More Thing: Kirk: “ChatGPT Made Me Delusional” by Eddy Burback (YouTube) Maddy: The Master (2012) Jason: Strange Jigsaws LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason put on their capitalism hats and go to space for a trip to The Outer Worlds 2, the latest roleplaying game from Obsidian. They talk about how it improves upon the first game, all the fun dialogue options, and the hilarious Dumb trait. One More Thing: Kirk: Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery (Hulu) Maddy: Peacemaker S2 Jason: The Seance of Blake Manor LINKS: Jason interviews The Outer Worlds 2 director Brandon Adler: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-10-24/obsidian-s-the-outer-worlds-2-took-twice-as-long-to-make-as-the-first-hit-game?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2MTc0NDUyOSwiZXhwIjoxNzYyMzQ5MzI5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUNE4yWERHUFdDTEwwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.OCD764bJIZFKkkNCudKE7HVo_s32880R1rFNAy_ctak The Outer Worlds 2 PC performance mod Kirk mentioned: https://www.nexusmods.com/theouterworlds2/mods/17 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for a video-game grab bag as the Triple Click gang talks about some of the games they've been playing recently. They dive into Double Fine's Keeper, the new indie sensation Ball X Pit, Supergiant's Hades 2, and Absolum. Also they get derailed by the term "friendslop." One More Thing: Kirk: The Diplomat (Netflix) Maddy: The Venture Bros. (2004-2018) Jason: Workhorse (Caroline Palmer) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

That's right: it's another mailbag! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about the criteria of a dad game, print vs web journalism, and when you know that a video game has outstayed its welcome. Plus: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2! One More Thing: Kirk: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Maddy: High Potential Jason: Long Story Short (Netflix) LINKS: “May I Stand Unshaken” by D’Angelo from Red Dead Redemption 2, 2018 “The Decline” by NOFX, 1999 “I’m Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage, 1995 Lee Roy Chapman’s “The Nightmare of Dreamland: Tate Brady and the Tulsa Outrage” - https://www.centerforpublicsecrets.org/post/the-nightmare-of-dreamland-tate-brady-and-the-tulsa-outrage Stephen Totilo’s 2015 interview with Kingdom Come director Daniel Vávra: https://kotaku.com/my-e3-meeting-with-a-pro-gamergate-developer-1715511964 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Did the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard ruin Xbox? How do you build a new studio while simultaneously making a video game? And what's up with the lack of gender representation in esports? Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag and take some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things. One More Thing: Kirk: The Lowdown (Hulu) Maddy: Beauty and the Bester (Netflix) Jason: The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox (Hulu) LINKS: “No Girls Allowed” by Tracey Lien for Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/features/2013/12/2/5143856/no-girls-allowed/ Katy Perrry sings “Last Friday Night” in Simlish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxyW6AJ-yIk Twenty Thousand Hertz on Simlish: https://www.20k.org/episodes/sulsul Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy convene to talk about the big news of the week — Electronic Arts going private as part of a $55 billion leveraged buyout — and what it could mean for the people involved. Then they talk about Ghost of Yotei, the latest PlayStation 5 exclusive and an open-world samurai game about exploring feudal Japan and killing ronin with a sword. It's fun!  One More Thing: Kirk: Baby Steps Maddy: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) Jason: One Battle After Another (2025) LINKS: “How Private Equity Destroys the Companies You Depend On” - The Culture Study Podcast w/ Megan Greenwell: https://culturestudypod.substack.com/p/how-private-equity-destroys-the-companies Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason are all playing the new remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made. The gang talks about how the 1998 classic holds up today, the complexity of its systems, and all of the new features that Square Enix added for this version, like voice acting. Plus: Hades 2! One More Thing: Kirk: Hades 2 Maddy: Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong (Christopher Ferguson and Patrick M. Markey) Jason: Rise of the Golden Idol LINKS: Jason and Kirk published their entire text conversation about Final Fantasy Tactics’ Dorter Slums: https://kotaku.com/man-final-fantasy-tactics-sure-had-a-steep-learning-cu-5974665 Kirk talks to game developers about why they love Final Fantasy Tactics: https://kotaku.com/why-everybody-loves-final-fantasy-tactics-5973196 2013 Jason on Video Game Violence: https://kotaku.com/from-halo-to-hot-sauce-what-25-years-of-violent-video-5976733 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy convene to discuss all the news in the latest Nintendo Direct, from the Super Mario Galaxy movie to a new Fire Emblem and the mysterious Danganronpa 2x2. Then: more Silksong! They talk about difficulty, opacity, and how cool Hornet is... I mean seriously. She's just so cool. One More Thing (Timestamp 46:34): Kirk: Fourth Wing & Romantasy Maddy: When the Clock Broke (John Ganz) Jason: Nathan For You LINKS: Christian Donlan’s Eurogamer Silksong review: https://www.eurogamer.net/hollow-knight-silksong-review Jason’s spoiler-free tips for getting to Silksong Act 3: https://discord.com/channels/735597186657812641/1408099310213529701/1416775529041760397 “Choral Chambers” by Christopher Larkin from Hollow Knight: Silksong Kirk’s remix of Shakra’s song: https://bsky.app/profile/kirkhamilton.com/post/3lysrc5ee422a "Why Magic, Dragons and Explicit Sex Are in Bookstores Everywhere” - Alexandra Alter for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/style/harry-potter-fan-fiction-romantasy-manacled.html Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk finally crack into the long-awaited Silksong, the sequel to Hollow Knight that was seven years in the making. They talk about how Silksong compares to its predecessor, the classic origin of its musical motif, and of course, why Hornet is such a badass. One More Thing: Kirk: The Cloud Roads (Martha Wells) Maddy: Elden Ring Nightreign’s four-player mod by Yui Jason: The NFL LINKS: “Enter Pharloom,” “Moss Grotto,” “Title Theme” by Christopher Larkin from Hollow Knight: Silksong Twenty Thousand Hertz on Dies Irae: https://www.20k.org/episodes/diesirae Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

On this, the day of Silksong's release, it's time to go back to where it all began: Hollow Knight! The Triple Click gang talks about Team Cherry's 2017 action-adventure game, what makes it so special, and how it became a cultural phenomenon. Plus: they revisit Kotaku Splitscreen's 2018 interview with the developers of Hollow Knight. One More Thing: Kirk: Split Fiction Maddy: Deep Cover (2025) Jason: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages LINKS: “Hornet” and “City of Tears” by Chris Larkin from the Hollow Knight OST Kirk’s review of Hollow Knight: https://kotaku.com/hollow-knight-the-kotaku-review-1827367425 A video of someone beating the Absolute Radiance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rg8UBKtt1o Excerpts from Kirk’s August 2018 Splitscreen interview with Team Cherry Jason’s 2025 interview with Team Cherry Folding Ideas on Silkposting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkbylysplI Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy react to the news that Silksong will be out very soon, then talk about some of the games they've been playing, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Mafia: The Old Country, and more. One More Thing: Kirk: Alien: Earth Maddy: King of the Hill (2025) Jason: Crosscode LINKS: Brett Douville’s podcast, Dev Game Club: https://www.devgameclub.com/ Jason’s interview with Team Cherry Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

LINKS: Plante's video game podcasts The Besties and Post Games Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag to answer some of your questions! What's the ideal skill level for a video game reviewer? What's the funniest made-up video game word? And where's the line when it comes to the use of generative AI in game development?  One More Thing: Kirk: The Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson) Maddy: Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation (Sophie Lewis) Jason: Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo) LINKS: Kirk’s new Strong Songs episode about his dad: https://strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episodes/s07-bonus-a-song-for-my-father Brian Merchant’s Blood In The Machine blog post: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/how-ai-is-killing-jobs-in-the-tech-f39 Kirk’s guest spot on A Grain of Sanderson talking about The Emperor’s Soul: https://agrainofsanderson.buzzsprout.com/2312274/episodes/17601676-the-emperor-s-soul-legion-episode-17-w-kirk-hamilton Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk whip out their ocarinas for a trip to the past in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the 1998 masterpiece that set a new bar for 3D video games. They talk about how it holds up in 2025, how it set a blueprint for Breath of the Wild, and how Link got adult clothes after seven years in cryostasis. One More Thing: Kirk: Process: A Novel (Matthew Seiji Burns) Maddy: KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Jason: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) LINKS: Featuring soundtrack excerpts from Ocarina of Time composed by Koji Kondo Triple Click’s Link to the Past Episode: https://maximumfun.org/episodes/triple-click/triple-click-classics-zelda-a-link-to-the-past/ Kirk’s Strong Songs episodes about The Legend of Zelda: https://strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episodes/the-music-of-the-legend-of-zelda And a Zelda bonus: https://strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episodes/s05-bonus-a-little-extra-zelda And Tears of the Kingdom: https://strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episodes/s05e08-the-music-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Before we play video games, it's important to get consent from relevant parties, such as Visa and Mastercard. This week, the Triple Click gang talks about payment processor censorship, Xbox layoffs, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's wild emails, and much more. Plus: the newfound relevance of South Park. One More Thing: Kirk: Star Trek: Lower Decks Maddy: Peak Jason: South Park LINKS: Tyler Foggott in the New Yorker on South Park’s premiere: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/south-park-skewers-a-satire-proof-president Bloomberg on Satya Nadella: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-15/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-his-ai-efforts-and-openai-partnership?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0NzQ0MDExNywiZXhwIjoxNzQ4MDQ0OTE3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTV0JNQ1FUMEFGQjQwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCNjVFOTM5Mjc2NzA0M0QzODY0NDRDMDdBRDc0OTE2NiJ9.y7u-8QK7MCMqjKVlR5fO6u5JG1Iel4Hrm7YF3XE4u64 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

OH, BANANA! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy punch through some rocks for Donkey Kong Bananza, the first big single-player Switch 2 exclusive and the latest game from the team behind Super Mario Odyssey. They talk about its delightful design tricks, how much fun it is to smash up the world, and whether it's a worthy successor to Odyssey. One More Thing: Kirk: Children of Time (Adrien Tchaikovsky) Maddy: The Drifter Jason: Nurikabe World LINKS: Maddy’s review of The Drifter: https://www.endlessmode.com/video-games/the-drifter/the-drifter-is-a-gripping-mystery-with-grating-characters Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join All-New Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

LIVE from Portland, it's Triple Click! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason reach into the Gamer hat and answer some audience questions. It gets a little off the rails. 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the mailbag for some of your burning questions. Should a family that's never gotten a Switch before get a Switch 1 or Switch 2? Is it ethical to play online games on private servers? And can Outer Worlds 2 really critique capitalism while being made by one of the world's biggest corporations? One More Thing: Kirk: Birnam Wood (Eleanor Catton) Maddy: Gaming pillow from Mechanism Jason: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time LINKS: Kirk’s latest Strong Songs mailbag about the music of Blue Prince: https://strongsongspodcast.com/blogs/episodes/s07e09-bluegrass-blue-prince-and-the-blues Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Triple Click brings on Tom Bissell, writer of video games, books, TV shows and the final three episodes of Andor season 2. They talk about how he went from reporting in Iraq to writing dialogue for Battlefield, his journey to become a writer on Andor, and what it was like to pen the conclusion to one of the most acclaimed TV shows of all time. One More Thing: Kirk: James (Percival Everett) Maddy: Metroid: Zero Mission Jason: Never Flinch (Stephen King) LINKS: “The Writer Will Do Something” by Matthew Seiji Burns and Tom Bissell: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds Nicholas Quah on “The Death Star Trilogy”: https://www.vulture.com/article/andor-rogue-one-new-hope-star-wars-trilogy-viewing-order.html Paste Magazine interview with Tom about writing his Andor episodes: https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/andor/andor-season-2-finale-postmortem-with-writer-tom-bissell Tom’s Related Reading Recs: The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine, A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel, and anything by John Le Carré Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason take their Kas to the Beach for a trip through Hideo Kojima's latest action game, Death Stranding 2. They talk about the changes from the first game, the quirks of the story, and what it's like to build ladders and roads across Mexico, Australia, and more. One More Thing: Kirk: A Complete Unknown (2024) Maddy: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (I finished it) Jason: Ninth House (Leigh Bardugo) LINKS: Excerpts from “Minus Sixty One” and “Fragile Things” by WOODKID form the Death Stranding 2 OST Wired on the making of Death Stranding 2: https://www.wired.com/story/how-covid-19-changed-hideo-kojimas-vision-for-death-stranding-2/ Sam Adler-Bell on A Complete Unknown: https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/a-complete-unknown-bob-dylan-film/ Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy bring on special guest Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV, Play Nice) to talk about his experiences as a voice actor and his new game, Date Everything! Ray talks about how he came up with the game, the seven-year saga of building it, and how it's so much more than a romance simulator. One More Thing: Kirk: The Eyre Affair (Jasper Fforde) Maddy: I quit Polygon lol Jason: Marble Hall Murders (Anthony Horowitz) LINKS: Kirk’s new collection “Music For Podcasting”: https://kirkhamilton.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-podcasting Kindness Coins: https://arden.itch.io/kindness-coins “Why AI Isn’t Going To Make Art” by Ted Chiang for The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/why-ai-isnt-going-to-make-art Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy and Jason are home from Summer Game Fest, where they played a bunch of upcoming games. Kirk watched some cool announcements. And everyone's got Switch 2s, so there's much to discuss. One More Thing: Kirk: Switch 2 Maddy: Switch 2 Jason: Switch 2 LINKS: Dan Olson on “Silkposting” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkbylysplI Ifixit gives Switch 2 a repairability score of 3/10: https://www.ifixit.com/News/110926/switch-2-teardown Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Today, Nintendo released its first new console in eight years... and the Triple Click gang doesn't have it yet. But that won't stop Jason, Maddy, and Kirk from talking about the Switch 2, its launch lineup, and the imaginary promises that consoles bring. Plus: some Summer Games Fest hopes and predictions! One More Thing: Kirk: Hacks Season 4 Maddy: Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo (2014) Jason: The Doorman (Chris Pavone) LINKS: Kirk’s 2017 review of the Original Switch: https://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-the-kotaku-review-1792776350 “Young Deb When She Was Happy” by Carlos Rafael Rivera from Hacks, Season 1 https://www.polygon.com/nintendo/602181/all-nintendo-console-launches-ranked Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Arise, tarnished, and watch out for server errors. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy team up for some co-op in Elden Ring: Nightreign, the new multiplayer spinoff by From Software. It's a fun game to talk about! They talk about the high highs, low lows, and the opacity of it all. One More Thing: Kirk: Your Friends and Neighbors (Apple TV+) Maddy: Kitchen Nightmares Jason: The Rehearsal (HBO) LINKS: Tyler Colp’s PC Gamer Nightreign Review: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/elden-ring-nightreign-review/ Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their chainsaws and get ready to slay some aliens (demons?) in DOOM: The Dark Ages, the latest game from id Software. They talk about the new DOOM's pros and cons, the lasting appeal of the franchise, and how fun it feels to hack apart aliens (demons?) at 400 miles per hour. One More Thing: Kirk: Cabaret (1972) Maddy: Survival of the Thickest (Netflix) Jason: Golden Idol Investigations: The Lemurian Phoenix LINKS: “Atlan Battleground” from the Doom: The Dark Ages soundtrack by Finishing Move Mick Gordon plays Doom music at the 2016 Game Awards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a9E3n_VZRQ Jason’s report on Doom 2016’s troubled development: https://kotaku.com/five-years-and-nothing-to-show-how-doom-4-got-off-trac-468097062 Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Can the magic of old-school Blizzard ever be recreated? Dreamhaven, a company started by Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime and a whole bunch of other Blizzard veterans, seems to be trying to make it happen. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about Dreamhaven's first two games, Sunderfolk and Wildgate, and whether it's possible to recreate those old Blizzard feelings in 2025. One More Thing: Kirk: Sinners Maddy: Doom: The Dark Ages Jason: Thunderbolts* (2025) LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Grand Theft Auto VI is delayed to 2026... but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not! This week, the gang talks about both games, starting with some thoughts on the new GTA trailer before moving into some takes on Act 1 of Clair Obscur.  One More Thing: Kirk: Blue Prince Maddy: Consume Me Jason: Yellowface (RF Kuang) LINKS: Excerpts from the Clair Obscur soundtrack composed by Lorien Testard Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion got a surprise remaster, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received rave reviews, and The Hundred Line: Defense Academy is way deeper — and way better — than we expected. This week, the gang dives into all three games. Plus: some cool TV shows! One More Thing: Kirk: Adolescence (Netflix) Maddy: E.R. (Max) Jason: The Studio (Apple TV Plus) LINKS: Featuring tracks from Clair Obscur composed by Lorien Testard, feat. Alice Duport-Percier, vocals Mini-Doc on the music of Clair Obscur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urizETxs3_8 Adolescence Post-Viewing: Stephen Graham on Fresh Air, The Panic World podcast’s recent discussion is also good, Kathryn Jezer-Morton in The Cut, “The Dangerous Son Problem” ER Theme by James Newton Howard Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How should video game consoles differentiate themselves without exclusives? Do games make us more or less lonely? And are RPGs popular because they feel like jobs? This week, Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the listener mailbag and take some of your (excellent) questions. Plus: three killer new games that are out this week! One More Thing: Kirk: Sunderfolk (PC, Consoles, Switch) Maddy: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Jason: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ “All Work and No Play” by Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/all-work-and-no-play/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Blue Prince is out, and people are definitely having a normal one. Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about some of the initial player reactions to the highest-reviewed game of 2025, and how sentiment has changed since the first day or two. They talk about the pros and cons of RNG, when the game clicked for each of them, and what they've been seeing over the last week. One More Thing: Kirk: Oscars Watch Game Reimagined/The Godfather Maddy: Hail Satan? (2019) Jason: Lunar: Remastered Collection LINKS: Kirk on Blue Prince: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/p/theme-and-theme-and-variations Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Blue Prince is the best-reviewed game of 2025 so far... but does it live up to the hype? Yes, yes it does. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the game's unique genre-blending design, the appeal of the puzzles, the story hidden underneath it all, and much, much more. Plus: a very special announcement! One More Thing: Kirk: Slough House Books 5-8 (Mick Harron) Maddy: Inside Out 1 + 2 Jason: Switch 2 + tariffs LINKS: Kirk’s essay about about Blue Prince and repetition: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/p/theme-and-theme-and-variations Blue Prince music excerpts by Trigg & Gusset Triple Click LIVE in Portland, July 11: https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/triple-click-live/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Thanks to yesterday's Nintendo Direct, we now know a lot more about the Nintendo Switch 2, from the price (high!) to the release date (soon!) to the fact that omg they showed Silksong for three seconds and said it's coming in 2025, which means it MUST come out this year since when has a console maker ever been wrong about when Silksong is coming out??? Also they announced a bunch of other Switch 2-related stuff, and Jason actually attended the press event and played the thing, and Maddy spent all day directing coverage of it, so they got on a zoom call with Kirk to talk about all of it. And then they both went to sleep and Kirk stayed up to edit the episode and write this episode description. One More Thing: Kirk: The Princess Bride (William Goldman) Maddy: The Residence (Netflix) Jason: Saga Frontier 2  LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

There's a new Assassin's Creed out, and there's lots to discuss. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about the structure of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the balance between protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, how the game might impact Ubisoft's future, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Search Engine with Ira Glass Maddy: Heretic (2024) Jason: Vantage Point (Sara Sligar) LINKS: Featuring excerpts from the AC Shadows soundtrack composed by The Flight and TEKE::TEKE Shogun’s subtitles: https://www.polygon.com/24124644/star-wars-shogun-influence-subtitle-font Polygon’s Heretic interviews: https://www.polygon.com/horror/476433/heretic-ending-explained-by-directorsHeretic’s directors unpack its ambiguous ending Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

If the Triple Click gang worked in the video game industry, what would they each do? What's it like to pitch a game? And should Steam bring back its Greenlight process to help slow down the barrage of new games every year? This week, it's time for some burning questions! One More Thing: Kirk: Notifications Maddy: We Are Lady Parts  Jason: Dead Money (Jakob Kerr) LINKS: “The Writer Will Do Something” by Matthew Seiji Burns and Tom Bissell: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread https://faroffgames.com/pages/arydia Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Video games: they're cool! There are a lot of new games out, so let's talk about them. Games discussed this week: Wanderstop, Expelled, Split Fiction, Rise of the Golden Idol DLC, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage One More Thing: Kirk: Reacher (Prime Video) Maddy: Paradise (Hulu) Jason: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen) LINKS: Analysis of duplicated host introductions using spectral analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQmbU451Ob5rmqKUDAdwAjuSysx7oEvW/view?usp=sharing “The Guilt of the Video Game Millionares” by Simon Parkin for The New Yorker, 2014 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-guilt-of-the-video-game-millionaires Featuring an excerpt from the Wanderstop theme by C418 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their Palicoes and pull out their dual blades for a monster hunt extraordinaire. This week, the gang is talking about Capcom's latest Monster Hunter. They talk about the appeal of the core gameplay loop, the thrill of the combat, and the approachability compared to previous entries. One More Thing: Kirk: The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells) Maddy: The Contestant (2023) Jason: Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's with the video game industry? Over the last three years, tens of thousands of jobs have been cut, dozens of studios were shut down and countless projects got canceled. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down why and how this is all happening, from flattened console growth to the rise of Fortnite and other Black Hole games like it. One More Thing: Kirk: The Pitt (Max) Maddy: Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool Jason: This is the Tom Green Documentary (Amazon Prime) LINKS: Matthew Ball’s presentation on the state of the video game industry: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025 Chris Hayes on Know Your Enemy talking about attention and his new book The Siren’s Call: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-pay-attention/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50! One More Thing: Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock) Maddy: Priscilla (2023) Jason: Lisa Jewell LINKS: Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. Bell Hbomberguy’s “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here’s Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Civilization VII is out this week, and it's time to break down Sid Meier's iconic series. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite games in the franchise, what "4X" actually means, and why Civ games are so appealing to so many people. One More Thing: Kirk: “The Ghosts in the Machine” an excerpt from Mood Machine by Liz Pelly Maddy: ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard Just Went From A Good RPG To One Of BioWare’s Most Important Games’ by Ken Shepard [Spoilers] Jason: Avowed LINKS: “Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That” by Will Tavlin for N+1: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The console wars are over. The winner? PC gaming! This week, the Triple Click gang gets into Maddy's recent quest to build a new PC and some of their favorite PC building experiences. Then they talk about the recent explosion of PC gaming, what's caused it, and what it might mean for the future of games. One More Thing: Kirk: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver) Maddy: Citizen Sleeper 2 Jason: The craziest trade in NBA history LINKS: Featuring “Sleeper” by Amos Roddy from Citizen Sleeper Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Wondering what makes some video game titles good and some bad? Just bring in Triple Click Consulting — we've got you covered. This week, the gang goes through a whole bunch of names and discusses what makes them work and what doesn't, from Balatro to EA Sports FC. One More Thing: Kirk: “All Work and No Play” - Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021 Maddy: Silo season 2 Jason: You Like It Darker (Stephen King) LINKS: The Know Your Enemy Podcast: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/category/podcast/know-your-enemy/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ A good name should be at least two of: Memorable (vs. Forgettable)Punchy (vs. Floppy)Understandable (vs. Confusing)Enticing (vs. Off-Putting)Surprising (vs. Predictable) (??) 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 last week, and there's oh so much to discuss. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk give their initial impressions of Nintendo's next console, talk about how it will fit into a post-Steam Deck world, and debate whether Mario Kart is any good. Then they talk about PlayStation's failing live-service initiative. Plus: a bonus Burning Question! One More Thing: Kirk: Trap (dir. M. Night Shaymalan) Maddy: Building Outside the Lines (HGTV) Jason: The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey (Steam) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How have video game budgets skyrocketed to the hundreds of millions? What are some good video games for elderly people? And is it possible there's a game as good as Balatro out there, but nobody has found it yet? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of your questions on all sorts of topics. One More Thing: Kirk: Black Doves (Netflix) Maddy: Steam Families Jason: The Roottrees Are Dead LINKS: Excerpts from “Crowning Celebration” by Paul Misko from The Case of the Golden Idol, 2022 and “New Wells of Conformity” by Paul Alexander from Case of the Golden Idol, 2024  Kirk’s new prediction: Death Stranding 2 will feature one (1) of the following people: Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalomét, Christopher Nolan, Daniel Craig Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy revisit last year's predictions to see what game they'll be playing this year, then go through some new predictions for 2025, from the Nintendo Switch 2 to... new Half-Life? One More Thing: Kirk: Interviewing your friends & family / StoryCorps Maddy: Scorcese double feature (Taxi Driver + King of Comedy) Jason: Encanto (2021) LINKS: StoryCorps: https://storycorps.org/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 2025 PREDICTIONS KIRK At least one game will be released and then un-released within the yearHollow Knight: Silksong will actually come outValve will announce a new non-VR Half-Life gameThe new Nintendo console will have the word "Switch" in the nameConan O'Brien or Geoff Keighley will appear in Death Stranding 2 (either/both)Valve will announce a new Steam controller that's on par with Steam DeckYou will be able to "pet the dog" in The Game Awards' GOTY, i.e. the game will have a "pet animal" interact promptAt least two TGA GOTY nominees will be for a studio's first gameIn the new Fable, you will be able to plant an acorn and have it grow into a treeSquare Enix will announce Final Fantasy VII.... ReturnBonus: Nintendo will announce they're bringing games to Steam Game: SOMA MADDY A Deadpool video game will get announcedThe Guillemot family will get pushed out of controlling UbisoftMetroid Prime 2 + 3 will get remasters released on a Switch in 2025A full-length film will be screened in FortniteA game made on Roblox will become a huge hit/phenomenon on the scale of Pokemon Go or Among UsMicrosoft/Xbox will remove the requirement for new Xbox games to be able to also run on Xbox Series SHalf-Life 3 will be announcedSilksong will get a release date announcement that will be “it’s out right now” (which means I am also implicitly predicting Silksong comes out in 2025)There will be two more prominent live service game failures in 2025 in the style of Concord and Suicide SquadWaluigi will figure into a new Mario gameBonus: Half-Life 4 will be announced Game: Super Metroid JASON Ubisoft will be sold An Xbox studios game will be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards (it's never happened before!)A non-VR Half-Life game will be announcedA single player playstation game will be announced for PC within 3 months of its PS5 releaseAce Attorney 7 will be announced Bobby Kotick will get involved with the Trump administration in some wayEA CEO Andrew Wilson will step downSwitch 2 will have an availability crisisMetroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2There will be fewer industry layoffs than last yearBonus: Amazon will pull out of the video game industry Game: Chrono Trigger 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's a race to the top as Leon, Key, and Bing reckon with a ghost from the past... and some imps in the present. Leon makes a surprising discovery. Key takes a big risk. Bing rearranges the furniture. LINKS: Support Triple Click: https://maximumfun.org/join Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for the best games of the year! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go through 2024's lineup and talk about their favorites. GAME OF THE YEAR: Kirk: BalatroAnimal WellHelldivers 21000xRESISTMouthwashingDragon's Dogma 2Tactical Breach WizardsLike a Dragon: Infinite WealthPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownIndiana Jones and the Great CircleMaddy: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Metaphor: ReFantazio Fields of Mistria Tactical Breach Wizards Balatro Dragon Age: The Veilguard Tales of Kenzera: Zau Animal Well Astro BotJason:  Animal WellBalatroFinal Fantasy VII RebirthMetaphor ReFantazioSecrets of GrindeaAstro BotRise of the Golden IdolAce Attorney Investigations 2Dragon Quest 3 HDNine SolsOne More Thing: Kirk: Detroiters Maddy: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami Jason: Happy Endings (Hulu) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about The Game Awards 2024 (and determine the predictions winner) before breaking down Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the latest game in the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing archeologist's adventures. They talk about the puzzles, the fist-fighting, and which parts of the game belong in a museum. One More Thing: Kirk: Thank Goodness You’re Here! (PC + Consoles) Maddy: Drumline (2002) Jason: Say Nothing (Patrick Radden Keefe) LINKS: Featuring Excerpts from “Intergalactic” by The Beastie Boys from Hello Nasty, 1998, and “Raiders March” by John Williams from Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981 Smack Barm Pey Wet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fid-RMAm4U Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Finally, it's time for gaming's biggest night. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go through each category at the 2024 Game Awards, from Game of the Year to Content Creator of the Year, and make their predictions. They talk about the biggest snubs, what they expect, and which game announcements they hope to see. One More Thing: Kirk: A Man on the Inside (Netflix) Maddy: Scream (2022) Jason: The Diplomat (Netflix) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Grab your D20 and roll initiative — it's time to talk Dungeons & Dragons. Inspired by their recent Triple Quest journey, the gang talks about their experiences playing with Matthew Mercer this year. They also get into their personal D&D histories, the game's recent surge of popularity, and how Baldur's Gate 3 has impacted it all. One More Thing: Kirk: Mouthwashing (PC/Steam) Maddy: Infinity Nikki Jason: Secrets of Grindea LINKS: Luke Winkie’s 2023 interview with Matt Mercer: https://slate.com/life/2023/08/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-matthew-mercer-twitch.html Mages and Murderdads: https://rangedtouch.com/mages-murderdads/ Jason on Secrets of Grindea: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-31/-secrets-of-grindea-the-hit-indie-video-game-that-took-13-years-to-make Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

On part two of Triple Quest, the trio visits the library. Leon and Luther take their relationship to the next level. Bing plays some piano. Key gets into pottery. LINKS: Support Triple Click: https://maximumfun.org/join Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's a Thanksgiving cornucopia full of video games as the Triple Click gang talks about what they've been playing. They discuss Rise of the Golden Idol, STALKER 2, Loco Motive, and Tactical Breach Wizards. Plus: spatchcocking! One More Thing: Kirk: Slow Horses (Mick Herron) Maddy: Les Miserables (2012) Jason: Thanksgiving LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

You all asked for advice, so here it is! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason open up the mailbag for a special Burning Questions all about life advice. They talk about how to make friends as adults, how to have better conversations, how to convince your children to cook with you and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Echo Point Nova Maddy: Scream 2 + 3 Jason: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk and Maddy have played a lot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard! Jason... well, Jason can just listen. The gang talks about BioWare's latest RPG and how much it changes after the first few hours, mostly for the better. One More Thing: Kirk: City Cast Maddy: Evil Men (podcast) Jason: Rise of the Golden Idol LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Triple Click gathers their party for a discussion of ensemble casts. They talk about Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and other RPGs this year to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each game's party. No, not that party. The other one. One More Thing: Kirk: Black Ops IIIIII Maddy: Metaphor: ReFantazio Jason: The Unseen World (Liz Moore) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

For the first time in ten years, a new Dragon Age is out this week. Maddy and Jason give some quick impressions on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, then get into overall series discussion with Kirk. The three of them talk about the long shadow of Origins, how the series has evolved over the years, and why people love Dragon Age characters so much. One More Thing: Kirk: The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video) Maddy: Scream (1996) Jason: We Solve Murders (Richard Osman) LINKS: Kirk’s 2014 Dragon Age lore explainer: https://kotaku.com/a-beginners-guide-to-all-things-dragon-age-1658487212 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Bing, Leon, and Key hear from an old friend. A tchotchke seller has an unexpected windfall. Thornhold's friendliest guard makes some new acquaintances. Listen to Act Two right now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join. SCHEDULE: Triple Quest will be told in three acts, along with a "session zero" planning session. All episodes will be published to the members-only feed first, and will hit the main feed a month later. Part One and the planning session will debut at the end of September. Parts Two and Three will debut at the ends of October and November, respectively.    LINKS: Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason and Kirk sit down with guest game master Matthew Mercer to roll their characters and plan out the coming adventure. Listen to Act Two right now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join. SCHEDULE: Triple Quest will be told in three acts, along with a "session zero" planning session. All episodes will be published to the members-only feed first, and will hit the main feed a month later. Part One and the planning session will debut at the end of September. Parts Two and Three will debut at the ends of October and November, respectively.  LINKS: Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/   🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How do you handle that one jerk in your gaming group? What games are good for each season? And what don't Kirk, Jason, and Maddy agree on? This week, we're opening up the mailbag for your burning questions on all that and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: I Am Your Beast (PC/Steam) Maddy: The “I Hate Bill Maher” podcast Jason: Sunderfolk LINKS: The New York Times on Xalavier Nelson Jr: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/arts/xalavier-nelson-strange-scaffold.html Jason’s Bloomberg interview with Mike Morhaime: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2024-10-10/dreamhaven-s-morhaime-on-creating-games-that-connect-and-the-next-hit Luke Plunkett on replaying Bully in 2024: https://aftermath.site/bully-rockstar-pc-steam Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy take a deep dive into Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new game from a team of former Persona directors at Atlus. They talk about Metaphor's gameplay, its similarities to (and differences from) Persona 5, and what they like and don't like about this stylish new RPG. One More Thing: Kirk: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) Maddy: Agatha All Along Jason: LOST (2004) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk conjure echoes of themselves to record a podcast and then sit back and eat some chips. It's time to talk The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom! One More Thing: Kirk: Delicious in Dungeon (Netflix) Maddy: Elsbeth [Paramount+] Jason: Metaphor: ReFantazio LINKS: Featuring excerpts from the Echoes of Wisdom score and “Sleep Walking Orchestra” by BUMP OF CHICKEN from Delicious in Dungeon Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Here's a special treat — the first chapter of Jason Schreier's PLAY NICE: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, read by Ray Chase and free for all Triple Click listeners. You can buy the audiobook right here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781668639818/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How did Blizzard transform from one of the most beloved game companies on the planet into a shell of itself? This week, Maddy and Kirk probe Jason about his new book — PLAY NICE: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (out October 8) — which chronicles the 33-year history of the company behind Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. They talk about Blizzard's string of corporate parent companies, the development struggles of Overwatch 2, the wild story of Blizzard North, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Maddy: XBPlay Jason: The Afterparty season 2 LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

A ton of indie games have come out over the last few weeks and months, so it's time for a roundup! Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about UFO 50 (which is really 50 games in one), Arranger, The Operator, Tactical Breach Wizards, and The Plucky Squire. Some they like... some they don't! One More Thing: Kirk: Apple TV Maddy: Crime Scene Cleaner Jason: The NFL preseason LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

We're doing something pretty cool. 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for some news! The Triple Click gang gathers to talk about the newly announced PS5 Pro ($700!), the Annapurna Interactive exodus, and the tragic demise of Concord, a game that lasted less than two weeks. One More Thing: Kirk: Rebel Ridge (2024, Netflix) Maddy: Nimona (2023, Netflix) Jason: Fleishman Is In Trouble (Taffy Brodesser-Akner) LINKS: The (really good!) NYT article about Ezra Edelman’s lost Netflix Prince documentary: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/08/magazine/prince-netflix-ezra-edelman-documentary.html Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The new PlayStation 5 exclusive Astro Bot is an extraordinary platformer, one that just continues to surprise and delight Jason, Maddy, and Kirk. The gang talks about their favorite moments, what makes a platformer feel good, and whether all those PlayStation references might be a little much. One More Thing: Kirk: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Maddy: The Fall Guy (2024) Jason: The God of the Woods (Liz Moore) LINKS: Oli Welsh’s Astro Bot review: https://www.polygon.com/review/447564/astro-bot-review Jason’s interview with the game’s director: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-06/playstation-s-astro-bot-is-a-model-for-the-video-game-industry?srnd=undefined Featuring excerpts from “Astro Bot,” “Crash Site,” and “Disco Tree” by Kenneth CM Young from Astro Bot, 2024 Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their blasters and hop on their speeder bikes for a trip to Star Wars Outlaws, the latest game in a galaxy far, far away. They talk about what they like, what they don't like, and break down the Star Wars-iness of it all. One More Thing: Kirk: StReam Deck Maddy: Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Jason: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection LINKS: Featuring excerpts from “Star Wars” by John Williams from Star Wars and “Kay Vess, Outlaw” and “The Trailblazer”  by Wilbert Roget II from Star Wars Outlaws Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's the best way to run a video game company? Do people care less about graphics these days? And did Maddy get a say in the Polygon redesign? It's time to answer some burning questions! One More Thing: Kirk: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Netflix) Maddy: 5-4 podcast Jason: Star Wars Outlaws LINKS: Ethan failing every QTE in Heavy Rain’s best chase scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSTYpaRp5kQ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk finish up their playthrough of Resident Evil 2 Remake. They talk about their second run through the game (as Leon this time), that big, beautiful police station, and that truck driver at the end... which, like, what? One More Thing: Kirk: Godzilla Minus One Maddy: Fields of Mistria Jason: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How can video games made by a single person surpass $200 million AAA beasts? What are some weird things that have happened to the Triple Click gang because of games? And has the era of paid expansions come to an end? This week, Kirk, Jason, and Maddy answer listener questions! One More Thing: Kirk: Mistborn (Sanderson) Maddy: Hacks Jason: The Bright Sword (Lev Grossman) LINKS: Featuring an excerpt from the Balatro theme by LouisF Ben Abraham’s “Permanent Death,” a 2009 permadeath run through Far Cry 2: https://drgamelove.blogspot.com/2009/12/permanent-death-complete-saga.html Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click gang puts on their cartography monocles and mulls over the eternal question of what makes for a video game map? They talk about what they like and don't like in the maps of games like Resident Evil 2 and Elden Ring, what maps say about our relationship with games, and the joy of exploring! One More Thing: Kirk: Steamworld Heist II  Maddy: Dream Scenario (2023) Jason: Red Dead's History (Tore C. Olsson) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk won last year's predictions bet, so it's time to play the Resident Evil 2 remake! The Triple Click gang makes their way through the police station, gets chased by Mr. X, and screams a lot of obscenities in a gross sewer. One More Thing: Kirk: The Operator Maddy: The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions Jason: Long Island Compromise (Taffy Brodesser-Akner) LINKS: https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the-rings/22811800/gollum-lord-of-the-rings-actor-andy-serkis-weta-digital Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

When is it OK to cheat in a video game? When is it not OK? This week, the Triple Click gang ponders all things cheating, from codes to mods, and talks about the ethical dilemmas (or lack thereof) when it comes to altering the intended experience in a video game. One More Thing: Kirk: Twister (1996) Maddy: Suicide Squad Isekai Jason: Blink 182 (Live at Citi Field) LINKS: You Are Good’s Twister episode: https://www.podpage.com/you-are-good/twister-w-niko-stratis/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

In this bonus episode, Kirk, Jason and Maddy each picked five games that played a formative role in their development as little lower-case “g" gamers. And then they talked about them! KIRK: TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan (1990)   Kings Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992)   Quest For Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1993)   The 7th Guest (1993)   Magic: The Gathering (1993) MADDY: Tetris (1989) Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992) The Oregon Trail Deluxe (1992) Myst (1993) Doom (1993) JASON: Zork Zero (1988)   Final Fantasy IV (1991)   Warcraft II:Tides of Darkness (1995)   Evergrace (2000)   Aliens vs. Predator MUD (1997) ------------ Featuring musical excerpts from Tetris (Russian trad.) and Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (Aubrey Hodges) Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Who makes money when a game is sold but its developer has shut down? What otherwise good behaviors might tank creative projects? And what are the best (bad) movie tie-in games? This week, the gang opens up the mailbag to take some of your excellent questions. One More Thing: Kirk: Elantris (Brandon Sanderson) Maddy: Selaco Jason: Final Fantasy XIV LINKS: Jason’s Suicide Squad Story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-06/-suicide-squad-warner-bros-s-200-million-flop-haunts-the-gaming-industry Jason's Hironobu Sakaguchi interview: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-07-03/-final-fantasy-creator-hironobu-sakaguchi-reunites-with-square-enix?srnd=technology-vp Riley MacLeod’s Aftermath article about the Dr. Disrespect story: https://aftermath.site/dr-disrespect-allegations-twitch-journalism X-Men Arcade Game Source Material, “Pryde of the X-Men”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBI8GIjf5HA Luke Plunnkett on Chuds and Star Wars: The Acolyte: https://aftermath.site/the-acolyte-star-wars-controversy-ratings-this-is-all-terrible IGN article by Matt Kim about Asian representation and Assassin’s Creed Shadows: https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-asian-protagonist Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time to revisit Elden Ring... again. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason are still obsessed with Shadow of the Erdtree (or should we say Scadu of the Erdtree?) and its sprawling new regions and dungeons. They talk about why they're captivated, what makes its level design so great, and those pesky quests that will lock you out if you breathe on them wrong. One More Thing: Kirk: 1000xResist (Switch and PC) Maddy: Master Chef Junior Jason: Real Americans [Rachel Khong] LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy put on their finest Tarnished gear and get ready for a trip to the Shadow Realm. How does Elden Ring's big expansion compare to the base game? What's it like to revisit the game in 2024? And is it really too difficult? One More Thing: Kirk: Hit Man (2024, Netflix) Maddy: Butterfly In The Sky (Reading Rainbow documentary) Jason: Babel (R.F. Kuang) LINKS: Kirk’s Dragon Age Explainer: https://kotaku.com/a-beginners-guide-to-all-things-dragon-age-1658487212 Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy unwind from this year's not-E3 by getting back into it. They talk about the big Xbox showcase, the big Nintendo showcase, and some of the embargoed games they saw at Summer Games Fest, such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Star Wars Outlaws. One More Thing: Kirk: Tactical Breach Wizards Maddy: Valorant (new Xbox port) Jason: The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel (Jenny Nicholson) LINKS: IGN story on development of Perfect Dark: https://www.ign.com/articles/xboxs-perfect-dark-reboot-is-still-years-away Cory Doctorow’s “enshittification” essay: https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES... it's Maddy, Jason, and Kirk! The gang talks about what we all saw at Summer Game Fest, what they played, and how much they miss E3. Plus: audience Q&A! One More Thing: Kirk: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Maddy: Dune Part Two Jason: Holly (Stephen King) GAMES DISCUSSED Civilization VIIMonster Hunter WildsHeartwormDragon Age: The VeilguardWanderStopMetaphor: ReFantazioFatal Fury: City of the WolvesUFO 50ArrangerBuilding RelationshipsStormgate & Battle AcesSpinRhythm XDSlitterheadAlan Wake II: Night SpringsLINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for not-E3 — aka Summer Games Fest — where the video game industry will once again convene on Los Angeles for a week full of game demos, trailers, and exciting reveals. Well... sort of. This week, the Triple Click gang talks about their hopes, expectations, and predictions for the weekend ahead. Plus: don't miss Triple Click live in Los Angeles! One More Thing: Kirk: Crow Country Maddy: My inflatable kayak Jason: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley LINKS: Oli Welsh on the death of console exclusives: https://www.polygon.com/24166647/aaa-exclusive-games-are-dead-playstation-xbox-multiplatform Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Where are all the pregnant video game NPCs? What happens when you grow out of a video game genre? And what's it like to be both friends and professional podcast coworkers? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag for some wacky listener questions, and confesses that they're actually all secretly enemies. One More Thing: Kirk: Ed Wood (1994) Maddy: Elden Ring Jason: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Remake) LINKS: Kirk's 2018 Kotaku piece "Real Guns, Virtual Guns, and Me"  Jason's interview with Jake Solomon: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-14/game-makers-at-midsummer-studios-look-to-take-on-the-sims Lorelei and the Laser Tampon: https://www.polygon.com/gaming/24162613/lorelei-and-the-laser-eyes-tampon-why-reason-item Shadow of the Erdtree Miyazaki interview: https://www.famitsu.com/news/202402/22335199.html Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk is back and there's much to discuss. This week, the gang does a lightning round of topics, from the fallout of the Xbox shutdowns to Assassin's Creed racism and Hades 2 and the plethora of other killer indie games that have come out this year. One More Thing: Kirk: Lois McMaster Bujold’s fantasy novels (The Curse of Chalion (2001), Paladin of Souls (2003), The Sharing Knife (2006-9)) Maddy: Hades 1 Jason: The Lost Shtetl (Max Gross) LINKS: Featuring an excerpt from “The Crossroads” by Darren Korb from Hades 2 Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Animal Well is one of the best video game surprises in recent memory, and we'll be talking about it for years. This week Jason, Maddy, and special guest Russ Frushtick (Polygon, The Besties) give their impressions of the game in three increasingly obsessive phases. One More Thing: Maddy: Doppelganger by Naomi Klein (she finished it!) Jason: Minishoot Adventures LINKS: Russ's gaming podcast The Besties and his Polygon review of Animal Well Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk is out this week, so Jason and Maddy convene to talk about a grab bag full of topics including the Xbox mess, the Helldivers 2 debacle, and two games they're really enjoying: Hades 2 and Animal Well. One More Thing: Maddy: Master Chef Jason: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver) LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason's been playing Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a game that feels a lot like Suikoden, which made the Triple Click gang wonder: how does nostalgia impact our enjoyment of video games? Can it make games better? Worse? Both at once? Let's discuss! One More Thing: Kirk: Fiasco (Jason Morningstar) Maddy: Hades 2 technical test Jason: Girls5eva LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

When is video game lore good? When is it bad? This week, the Triple Click gang talks about Skyrim books, Elden Ring item descriptions, Destiny guns, and all the other delectable morsels of plot that exist underneath the stories of video games.  One More Thing: Kirk: Heavenly Creatures (1994) Maddy: Tales of Kenzera: Zau Jason: Eiyuden Chronicles LINKS: Mossbag’s Hollow Knight Lore video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XDiWYFGGqY Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Eight years after it first came out, Stardew Valley is still getting patches. But what's the deal with this one-man-developed farming simulator? How was it created, and what makes it so appealing? Allow us to explain! One More Thing: Kirk: Children of the Sun (Steam) Maddy: Wingspan (board game version) Jason: Fallout (Amazon Prime) LINKS: Search Engine: “What are we gonna do about all these cats?” https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/whatre-we-gonna-do-about-all-these Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's the 200th episode of Triple Click, and to celebrate, it's time for a mailbag! The gang answers listener questions such as "could we ever see gambling in video games?" and "are games really a waste of time?" One More Thing: Kirk: “Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain” by Kate Wagner  Maddy: Sailor Moon Jason: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett LINKS: “Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain” by Kate Wagner, preserved in archive form: https://web.archive.org/web/20240301170542/https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a46975496/behind-f1-velvet-curtain/ and at Escape Collective: https://escapecollective.com/behind-f1s-velvet-curtain/ Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teagram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What is "friction" in video games? We've got a taxonomy, of course! This week, the Triple Click gang talks about how Dragon Dogma 2 tries to push players away, the necessity of video game friction, and what it means when a game is impenetrable. One More Thing: Kirk: Girls5Eva (Netflix) Maddy: The Holdovers (2024) Jason: Secrets of Grindea LINKS: Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teagram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/ Tim Rogers’ “In Praise of Sticky Friction,” 2010 https://kotaku.com/in-praise-of-sticky-friction-555816 Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/   Kirk’s Three Types of Video Game Friction Mechanical Friction: Relating to inputs and interaction. i.e. kinesthetics, “game feel” Certain moves require complex inputs or timingBeating a boss means not just attacking but reacting/counteringCombat’s relationship to animation, e.g. locked animation means you can't interrupt attacks and dodge whenever you wantNo jump button, you have to use the world to get vertical advantage (souls, monster hunter)Enemies can stagger or stun-lock you just like you can themStamina bar limits the number of chained inputs you can giveDelay on spellcasting means relying on teammates to provide coverSlow or complex reloads with modifiers, minigames for healing, sub-inputs required while in the heat of action (stratagems, active reload, far cry healing animations, etc)"Sticky Friction" (TM Tim Rogers) - inertia, weight, acceleration, the feel and heft of movement and interaction tied to pause/delay/rhythm and animationLogistical Friction: Relating to planning, (in)flexibility, the need to prepare Customization is costly or difficult. e.g. to change classes or appearance, you have to go see a vendor in a townThere's limited fast travel, so you have to plan trips carefully. Or can only travel from certain points on mapThe game's map is an in-game object and doesn't pauseNo pause option in generalPenalty for death - lost progress, maybe the game even becomes harderFinishing a mission requires extraction, waiting, defendingYou can't save just anywhere, or have a limited number of savesLoot and upgrades don’t unlock unless you complete the missionQuests are complex and require a lot of micro-managing or specific stepsCrafting and other similar activities require in-game actions or specific locationsOften referred to as “Player Friendly/Unfriendliness”Informational Friction: Relating to what the game does/doesn’t tell you The game doesn't tell you what you're supposed to do nextThe game doesn't spell out for you what's going on with the story and leaves it for you to figure out (Narrative Friction)There are a lot of concepts, mechanics, or rules to keep track of or understand (Conceptual Friction)The game's map doesn't tell you very much, or the game has no map (Navigational Friction)Branching narratives aren’t signposted, little or no warning for consequential decisionsThe interface is opaque or requires a lot of inputs to useYou don't get notifications about status effects in the HUD, you have to look at your character (general world > hud approach)The game has hidden systems that you have to learn about via word of mouth or experimentation (e.g. If you want to explore the castle without getting arrested, wear the guard armor to blend in. If you die, your world becomes steadily darker. This guy will kill your NPCs, but there’s an elaborate hidden spell to revive them. Etc)Other players can leave notes to help you, but the notes are often vague; other player’s pawns can show you secrets, but you have to listenIn-game multiplayer communication options are limitedItem descriptions don't give specific stats, they just say vague stuff 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Balatro is one of the best games of 2024 so far — and certainly the most addictive. This week, the Triple Click gang dives into the new poker roguelike and dissects what makes it so great. They talk about the three phases of Balatro players, the appeal of randomness, and the thrill of this game's parade of interesting decisions. One More Thing: Kirk: Dragon’s Dogma 2 Maddy: Princess Peach Showtime! Jason: The Last Murder at the End of the World (Stuart Turton) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Happy MaxFunDrive! This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some listener questions: Are libraries ethical? How bad will ads in video games get? And when does a game developer know if it's time to cancel a project? One More Thing: Kirk: FF7 Rebirth Piano Minigame & Music Notation Maddy: Shogun Jason: Dragon’s Dogma 2 LINKS: Hearthstone’s Ben Brode on Search Engine: https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/how-do-you-make-an-addictive-video Tantacrul’s incredibly good video about music notation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq3bUFgEcb4 Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull up their strategem monitors and dive into Helldivers 2. They share their favorite memeable moments, talk about the game's unique story, and dive into what does and doesn't work about the hit new game. One More Thing: Kirk: Home Safety Hotline (PC) Maddy: The Insurrectionist Next Door (2023) Jason: Unicorn Overlord (Current Consoles) LINKS: Featuring Johan Lindgren’s Helldivers 2 theme Joel the game master: https://www.pcgamer.com/we-have-an-actual-person-with-the-title-of-game-master-a-single-helldivers-2-dev-named-joel-is-pulling-the-strings-on-its-galactic-war-like-an-all-powerful-dandd-dungeon-master-war-will-become-more-and-more-sophisticated-over-time/ Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason travel back in time and make their way up Mt. Nibel for a deeper look at the stellar Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, a game about traveling the world and playing animal soccer. One More Thing: Kirk: Our Last Best Hope (Magpie Games) Maddy: True Detective: Night Country (Max) Jason: The Dynasty (by Jeff Benedict) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason return to the world of buster swords and moogles to hunt Sephiroth, trying not to get too distracted by all the minigames along the way. It's time for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake. How good is it? Let's discuss! One More Thing: Kirk: Oppenheimer in 70mm Maddy: True Detective S3 Jason: Balatro LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Xbox recently announced plans to bring four games to PlayStation and Switch. But why? What's Microsoft's gaming strategy? And why are they even bothering to keep selling consoles? The Triple Click gang discusses. One More Thing: Kirk: Helldivers 2 (PS5, PC) Maddy: Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (Naomi Klein) Jason: Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect (Benjamin Stevenson) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time to analyze roguelikes — the latest trend sweeping games from God of War to The Last of Us — as Kirk, Jason, and Maddy get ready to dive into a dungeon full of random levels, cool weapons, and permadeath.  One More Thing: Kirk: Scavenger’s Reign (Max) Maddy: King of the Hill Jason: Super Bowl 58 LINKS: “Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part 2”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC3C7GMMfDU Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click gang takes a look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the latest game from Rocksteady Studios and a new entry into the oversaturated "live service" market. They talk about why publishers love service games, superhero fatigue, and how this new Suicide Squad game came to be. One More Thing: Kirk: Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024) (Amazon Prime) Maddy: True Detective S2 (HBO) Jason: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Xbox laid off nearly two thousand people last week. Before that, Riot laid off hundreds more. Why does this keep happening, and how does it affect people's lives? This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the video game layoff epidemic and try to pinpoint the causes and effects. One More Thing: Kirk: One Piece (Netflix) Maddy: True Detective S1-S2 Jason: Cultish (Amanda Montell) LINKS: Ezra Klein on the hollowing out of media: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/opinion/pitchfork-gq-internet-media.html With an excerpt from Netflix’s One Piece theme by Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

We have no objections to Ace Attorney, Capcom's brilliant series about lawyers attacking each other with dangerous weapons. To celebrate this week's release of the Apollo Justice collection (aka: Ace Attorney 4-6), the gang explains why this adventure game series is so appealing, from the zany courtroom antics to the truly absurd animations. One More Thing: Kirk: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Maddy: Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie (2018) Jason: Palworld LINKS: Bloomberg article about Palworld: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-22/what-is-palworld-pokemon-like-game-with-guns-goes-viral-irks-nintendo-fans?srnd=undefined Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Less than three weeks into 2024, we've already discovered what will likely be one of the year's best games: Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which the gang is loving. Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about the new game's satisfying platforming, the time-twisting story, and how it feels a whole lot like Hollow Knight. One More Thing: Kirk: Guitar Zero: The Science of Becoming Musical at Any Age by Gary Marcus Maddy: Liftoff by Casey Johnston Jason: Battle of Ink and Ice by Darrell Hartman LINKS: Maddy’s Prince of Persia review: https://www.polygon.com/24033589/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-review-ubisoft-switch Featuring excerpts from the Lost Crown soundtrack by Gareth Coker and Mentrix Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to answer listener questions on all sorts of things. Why do games like Skull & Bones languish in development hell forever? What makes Chants of Sennaar such a bad name? And, uh, what's the best investment advice? One More Thing: Kirk: Fargo Seasons 4 and 5 (FX/Hulu) Maddy: A Little To The Left Jason: I hate advertisements LINKS: Reddit Personal Finance https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics “Fargo Season 5 Theme” by Jeff Russo A Little to the Left Screenshots: https://bsky.app/profile/midimyers.com/post/3kib5xfds3g23 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What will this next year bring? And what does it mean for gaming? Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go over last year's predictions to see who won the big bet, then throw down some hot new declarations for what's to come in 2024. One More Thing: Kirk: Learning to Play Piano When There Is No Recital, by Kelsey McKinney Maddy: Dark Souls Jason: Ace Attorney 4: Apollo Justice LINKS: Chris Dahlen’s excellent 2012 essay about Dark Souls: https://kotaku.com/what-dark-souls-is-really-all-about-5874599 Kelsey McKinney’s essay “Learning To Play Piano Where There Is No Recital”: https://defector.com/learning-to-play-piano-when-there-is-no-recital Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ PREDICTIONS KIRK The new Nintendo console will have "Switch" in the nameUbisoft will be acquiredREDACTED will still die in FFXVII RebirthAn indie game (small team) will win GOTY at the game awardsNintendo will announce a remake of A Link to The PastAt least one video game will use generative AI in the game itselfBethesda/Microsoft will announce an Elder Scrolls TV showHollow Knight: Sillksong will come out in MayValve will announce a non-VR Half-Life gameNvidia will announce a Steam Deck CompetitorBonus: Apple buys Nintendo Game: Far Cry 2 MADDY The Switch 2 will be called the Super Nintendo SwitchMetroid Prime 4 will be a launch game on the Switch 2 in 2024Summer Game Fest 2024 will get material participation from either Sony or Nintendo (showing games on campus)Warner Bros. will announce a sequel to Hogwarts LegacyTears of the Kingdom will announce DLC after allFF7 Rebirth will NOT kill off that one character who we all know died in the original game and instead a different character will be killed in that same wayThree major games will use AI voices in a method similar to The Finals, meaning human actors’ performances are bolstered by AI trained on their voicesGeoff Keighley will become embroiled in a career-threatening scandal (people will refer to him as “canceled”)We will see a major biopic film announced about a video game streamerDragon Age Dreadwolf will be canceledBonus: Kristen Stewart will get cast as Link in the Zelda movie Game: Ocarina of Time JASON Metroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2Konami will release the Suikoden remastered collection within 4 weeks of Eiyuden ChronicleA different character will die instead of REDACTED in FFVII RebirthElden Ring DLC is so substantial it turns into a standalone budget-priced game (like Lost Legacy)Nintendo will do something substantial with the Mother series (Earthbound remake, rerelease, etc)Apple will announce a big-budget exclusive game for Apple Vision Pro Civilization 7 will be announced and released this yearMicrosoft's Activision will bring back Guitar HeroThe new Switch will make you pay for backwards compatibilitySaudi Arabia will buy a major video game companyBonus: The Zelda movie will feature a COMPLETELY SILENT Link Game: Crosscode 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It is time once again for that wonderful annual tradition: the best video games of 2023.  One More Thing: Kirk: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation (Kevin Roose, 2021) Maddy: Pit Bulls and Parolees Jason: Dredge LINKS: Jason’s piece on the Insomniac hack: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-12-22/playstation-employees-at-insomniac-studio-fear-identity-theft-after-massive-hack Featuring soundtrack excerpts from Jusant, Hi-Fi Rush, Alan Wake 2, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ GAMES OF THE YEAR Jason Octopath Traveler 2The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomBaldur’s Gate 3Chants of SennaarSuper Mario Bros. WonderStar Wars Jedi: SurvivorParanormasight: The Seven Mysteries of HonjoSpider-Man 2Diablo IVCase of the Golden Idol DLCKirk JusantDredgeLies of PHi-Fi RushAlan Wake 2Baldur's Gate 3Chants of SennarCyberpunk 2077 2.0Shadow Gambit: The Cursed CrewThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomMaddy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomAlan Wake 2Baldur's Gate 3Metroid Prime RemasteredVenbaDredgeChants of SennaarCocoonDead SpaceSuper Mario Wonder 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy and Kirk take on the clickers once more in this spoiler-filled discussion of HBO's hit adaptation of The Last of Us. LINKS Kirk's 2013 article about the game's ending Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy determine who won last week's award predictions before jumping into a jam-packed episode full of hot news and video games. They talk about The Game Awards, the GTA VI reveal, and the cancellation of E3, then talk about games like Avatar, Fortnite, and God of War Ragnarok's new Valhalla DLC, plus much more. One More Thing: Kirk: GPT4 Maddy: Amsterdam (2022) Jason: Eiyuden Chronicles LINKS: Featuring excerpts from “Love is a Long Road” by Tom Petty from Full Moon Fever, 1989, and the A Highland Song soundtrack, composed by Laurence Chapman Games Discussed: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, A Highland Song, Lil’ Gator Game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Fortnite (Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival/Main Stage), God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla Jason’s GTA VI article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/gta-6-release-date-rockstar-cleans-up-image-after-employee-backlash Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click Trio takes on The Game Awards: Who will win? Who'll get snubbed? What's an Action/Adventure game, again? Also, the hosts make some predictions! One More Thing: Kirk: Jusant Maddy: Chants of Sennar Jason: Going Infinite (Michael Lewis) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason pull out their red-stringed corkboards for a dive into the world of connected universes. What's the deal with games that seem connected in both subtle and blatant ways? Why does Jason hate multiverses so much? And what's a "brand-iverse"? The Types of Connected Universe: Shared Universe - A collection of stories and characters that all occupy the same time and place, e.g. MCU, most Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, Assassin's Creed, Persona, etc. Transmediaverse - A collection of stories and characters that exist in parallel across media and occasionally intersect, often abstractly but sometimes concretely. A great source of easter eggs. E.g. any transmedia adaptation, MCU, novel adaptation, TLOU show, Alien: Isolation, so many more Multiverse - An explicit fictional construct in which multiple timelines exist in parallel, allowing for infinite variations of various characters, storylines, and events. E.g. Everything Everywhere All at Once, Spider Man: No Way Home, Into/Across the Spider-Verse, Flash and the Arrowverse, Post-Thanos MCU, Dungeons & Dragons, etc. Brand-iverse - A collection of characters united primarily by their shared brand ownership and/or licensing deals between IP owners. E.g. Space Jam, Smash Bros, MultiVersus, the Sonyverse, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Fortnite, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Indie game cameos Fan-iverse - A shared universe as imagined and defined by fans of an existing set of characters or stories. E.g. The Zelda Timeline, The Pixar Theory Abstractiverse - A shared universe defined according to abstract, shifting rules. Often but not always the product of a single creative vision. E.g. Zelda, The Kingiverse, Final Fantasy, The Remedy Connected Universe, Mario, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop settings One More Thing: Kirk: Steam Deck OLED Maddy: Venba Jason: Billions LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason take a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom and almost get skewered by a giant sword as they play through Super Mario RPG, the new remake of the iconic Super Nintendo game. The gang talks about how it's aged in 2023, the turn-based combat, and just how damn funny the whole thing is. One More Thing: Kirk: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off  Maddy: Grand Theft Auto 5 Jason: Interest rates LINKS: J Kenji López-Alt’s YouTube Channel and his book, The Food Lab Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's the deal with multiple endings? Does the gang save-scum and look up which ones they're going to get? Are multiple endings better than singular ones? And is this all just a thinly veiled excuse for Maddy, Kirk, and Jason to keep talking about Baldur's Gate 3? One More Thing: Kirk: The Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) Maddy: The Marvels (2023) Jason: Red Dead Redemption 2 LINKS: A More Civilized Age plays Knights of the Old Republic: https://amorecivilizedage.net Kirk’s review of Red Dead Redemption 2: https://kotaku.com/red-dead-redemption-2-the-kotaku-review-1829984369 A great reading order for the Vorkosigan Saga: https://bookriot.com/vorkosigan-saga-reading-order/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull out their flashlights and go spelunking in the Dark Place for this week's episode, all about the wonderful new game Alan Wake 2. They talk about the increasingly fascinating Remedyverse, the game's Resident Evil inspirations, and try to figure out if Mr. Door was supposed to be played by Lance Reddick.   One More Thing: Kirk: Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix) Maddy: Quiz Lady (2023) Jason: MCU (Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards) LINKS: Variety on the turmoil at Marvel Studios: https://variety.com/2023/film/features/marvel-jonathan-majors-problem-the-marvels-reshoots-kang-1235774940/ Polygon feature on Blue Eye Samurai director Jane Wu: https://www.polygon.com/23945186/blue-eye-samurai-action-jane-wu-animation Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What video games went through turbulent development cycles and still turned out good? What are some tips for getting into video game journalism? And should we gender-swap... Kratos? This week: your questions, answered! One More Thing: Kirk: El Paso, Elsewhere Maddy: Us (2019) Jason: Killers of the Flower Moon LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is joy bottled up into a video game. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk break down the ubiquitous plumber's latest adventure to save the... err, to stop Bowser from being a castle. They talk about what makes Wonder so special, 2D vs. 3D Mario games, and how this is basically just one big music game. One More Thing: Kirk: Deadloch (Amazon) Maddy: If Books Could Kill (podcast) Jason: The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

With great power comes... something something. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk put on their spidersuits and get their senses tingling for a dive into the new PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2. They talk about the game's strengths, its weaknesses, and just how incredible it all looks. One More Thing: Kirk: Zodiac (2007) Maddy: The Golden Bachelor Jason: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth LINKS: Blank Check’s Zodiac episode with Leslye Headland: https://soundcloud.com/griffin-and-david-present/zodiac-with-leslye-headland Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's it like to play games with your partner? Can video games strengthen a relationship... or will they just make it worse? This week, the Triple Click Gang talks about their own experiences playing games with their wives and other significant others over the years. One More Thing: Kirk: Dredge vs. Dave the Diver Maddy: Jaws (1975) Jason: My Perfect Console podcast w/ Simon Parkin LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Three years after it first came out, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally finished. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason revisit CD Projekt Red's much-hyped game, which has changed quite a bit thanks to a brand new patch and the Phantom Liberty expansion. They talk story, gameplay, racism, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Lies of P Maddy: Cocoon Jason: Assassin’s Creed Mirage LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy revisit the Triple Click Picks, a list of ten games that this podcast unreservedly recommends you play... right now! Which new games made the cut? Which didn't? The answers may (or may not) surprise you. One More Thing: Kirk: Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding? (Podcast) Maddy: Spyder Games (2001)  MTV soap opera Jason: Number Go Up (Zeke Faux) LINKS: Number Go Up Excerpt: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-08-17/my-crypto-hell-journey-started-with-a-wrong-number-scam-text Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for a news roundup! Maddy, Kirk, and Jason break down a whole bunch of recent headlines, from the Unity price hike debacle to the massive Xbox document leak. They also talk layoffs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Killers of the Flower Moon (David Grann) Maddy: The Other Black Girl (Zakiya Dalila Harris) Jason: The Wager (David Grann) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

For all, into the Triple Click! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason put on their Constellation outfits and go off into space in search of... now loading... special artifacts that... now loading... are all over the planets of... now loading... Starfield! One More Thing: Kirk: The Bear Maddy: Demi Adejuyigbe’s Letterboxd account (link) Jason: Aaron Rodgers LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the mailbag and pull out some of your hottest questions. What's the best way to get kids into gaming? What minor video game mechanics could be expanded to full games? And what should the Switch 2 launch lineup look like? One More Thing: Kirk: The Making of Karateka Maddy: Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Jason: Chants of Sennaar LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What's the deal with: Bethesda games? To prepare for Starfield, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk take a trip all the way back to the Elder Scrolls: Arena days and go through the storied company's long history, which of course involves more than forty thousand versions of Skyrim. One More Thing: Kirk: How To with John Wilson (Max) Maddy: Imbeciles by Adam Cohen Jason: Sea of Stars LINKS: Hbomberguy’s videos on: Fallout 3 & Fallout: New Vegas Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy have played through all of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, a game that has aged quite well. They talk about multitasking, the impact of MOBAs on RTS games, and a very epic game of tug-of-war. One More Thing: Kirk: The Afterparty S2 Maddy: Asteroid City (2023) Jason: Traffic (by Ben Smith) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk are still obsessing over Baldur's Gate 3, the tremendous new roleplaying game from Larian Studios. This week they dive deeper into the game's multiplayer, the pros and cons of its opacity, and of course, exploding barrels. One More Thing: Kirk: Frosthaven Maddy: Angel Jason: Traffic (by Ben Smith) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason put on their Gauntlets of Ogre Power and jump into Baldur's Gate 3, one of the hottest (and best) games of the year. They talk about this incredible new adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, look in awe at the game's tremendous scope, and just generally rave about their time with it all. One More Thing: Kirk: “Country Music’s Race Problem” - Into It with Sam Sanders feat. Tressie McMillan Cottom Maddy: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Jason: Silicon Valley LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Baldur's Gate 3 is out this week, and it's primed to be one of the year's biggest games. But why? What's the deal with this series that hasn't received a new game in more than 20 years? Why are people so excited for it? And what do we think of the new game so far? One More Thing: Kirk: The Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) Maddy: Pokemon Sleep Jason: Billions LINKS: Baldur’s Gate 1&2 story recap by WolfheartFPS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L50P-lBGkM Kirk’s Vorkosigan reading order: https://bookriot.com/vorkosigan-saga-reading-order/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

These days, just about every video game either claims to be an RPG or has "RPG elements." But what does that mean? What is a role-playing game, exactly? And what that signify in this day and age? From Baldur's Gate 3 to Disco Elysium, let's discuss! One More Thing: Kirk: Planet of Lana (Xbox, PC) Maddy: They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) (2023) Jason: Search Engine (with PJ Vogt) LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern) Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Has StarCraft II aged well? What's with all the proper nouns? And how does it feel to play an old RTS game in 2023? This week, Triple Click revisits Blizzard's classic strategy game, playing through a chunk of Legacy of the Void and some multiplayer... for Aiur! One More Thing: Kirk: Overcooked 2 Maddy: Barbie (2023) Jason: It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO (John Koblin and Felix Gillette) LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern) Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Do indie studios live or die based on day-one game sales? How do you make games for girls? And is it OK to cheat in JRPGs? Maddy, Kirk, and Jason open up the mailbag for some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things. Plus: meet Ghost Maddy! One More Thing: Kirk: Jury Duty Maddy: The Werewolf Experiment (Escape Room In A Box) Jason: New PC build LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern) Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk strap in their Torgals and take a wild ride to Valisthea to talk about Final Fantasy XVI, the latest RPG from Square Enix. How does the new combat hold up? What's the deal with the story? And does it feel like a Final Fantasy game? All those questions answered... and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Maddy: Boston Strangler (2023) (Hulu) Jason: Everybody Knows (Jordan Harper) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the opening hours of Final Fantasy XVI, a game with some very strange pacing, and use that as a springboard to talk about pacing in general. How do you deal with pacing in video games when the player is control? And do big, emotional moments need a cigarette afterwards?  One More Thing:  Kirk: Beef (Netflix) Maddy: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card Jason: Nintendo Direct LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The triple click trio dimension-hop to the gritty dystopia of Dinohattan, where they fight for freedom against the villainous politician Koopa, an evolved T-rex who wants to reunite the dimensions and… turn humans into monkeys using de-evolution technology… wait, how is this a Mario movie? LINKS Featuring an excerpt from “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was), 1987 A chronology of script rewrites for Super Mario Bros. ‘93: http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/preproduction/script.htm A Collider story recounting the film's troubled production: https://collider.com/super-mario-bros-movie-1993-history-explained/ Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's June, which means it's time for... *checks notes*... Summer Game Fest? What the heck is that? The gang breaks down all of the big news and commercials, and Jason reports live from Not E3 in Los Angeles, where he's played the new Cyberpunk DLC and one of his best games of the show is... Crash Team Rumble? Note: Triple Click is off next week! One More Thing:  Kirk: Diablo IV Maddy: Diablo IV (as a Rogue) Jason: Writers Strike LINKS: Kirk’s Arc Lash Sorcerer Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STHHBCPnywc Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Things get bloody as the Triple Click Trio dive into Diablo 4. One More Thing:  Kirk: Mrs. Davis (Peacock) Maddy: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Theatrical) Jason: I Think You Should Leave Season 3 (Netflix) LINKS: The LOST chapter from Maureen Ryan’s forthcoming book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/lost-tv-show-culture Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Hope you're not too sick of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom yet, because it's all we can play. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy take another deep dive into Hyrule, talking about physics engines (and what makes them tick), dungeons, and tales from their adventures through one of this year's finest games. One More Thing:  Kirk: Silo (Apple TV+) Maddy: Missing (2023) Jason: Final Fantasy XVI LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's the very first TRIPLE CLICK LIVE!!! From the Bell House in Brooklyn, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about... well, what else? The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Plus: live Q&A and live One More Things. One More Thing:  Kirk: Somebody, Somewhere S2 Maddy: Monitor arms Jason: Bojack Horseman LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy do the only thing that could justify taking a break from playing Zelda: talking about playing Zelda! This week, they give their initial impressions of the impossibly big The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. They talk about how the new abilities work, what it's been like exploring the skies and depths, and how strange it is that Nintendo made a direct sequel in this way. Then they all go back to playing Zelda. One More Thing:  Kirk: Ashes of the Unhewn Throne #1: The Empire’s Ruin (Brian Stavely, 2021) Maddy: Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) Jason: Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Links:  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click crew opens up the mailbag to answer some listener questions about all sorts of things: why the United Kingdom can block Microsoft-Activision, what jobs we'd turn into sim games, and what Kirk thinks of Zelda's jazzy sax. Plus: One more week until Triple Click Live! One More Thing:  Kirk: Party Down Season 3 (Starz) Maddy: Zelda: Breath of the Wild (still) Jason: Magic for Liars (Sarah Gailey) Links:  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy strap on their blasters and take a trip to Koboh for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the latest game in a universe far, far away. They talk about PC performance problems, whether Survivor is too much of a direct sequel, the brilliant traversal mechanics, and the cutest droids in the galaxy. One More Thing:  Kirk: PsychOdyssey Maddy: Dredge Jason: Case of the Golden Idol DLC Links:  Digital Foundry’s analysis of Jedi Survivor’s PC Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI6eAVvvmg0 Maddy would die for Turgle: ​​https://www.polygon.com/23707008/star-wars-jedi-survivor-turgle-frog-alien-character Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Triple Click gang offers some early impressions on the new game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, then dives into a brief history of Star Wars games. When were they good? When weren't they? And what makes for the best kind of Star Wars game these days? Plus: Jason played Tears of the Kingdom! One More Thing:  Kirk: The Last House on Needless Street (Catriona Ward, 2021) Maddy: Blank Check podcast archives Jason: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Links:  Jason’s 2015 story on the death of LucasArts: https://kotaku.com/how-lucasarts-fell-apart-1401731043 Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is just three weeks away, which means it's a good time to revisit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about how 2017's Zelda shook up the series, what pros (and cons) it has over other Zelda games, and how it feels to play in 2023. One More Thing:  Kirk: Shadow and Bone Season 2 Maddy: Chess Jason: Unlock! Exotic Adventures Links:  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk bring on special guest Casey Newton (Platformer, The Verge, Hard Fork) to talk about the generative AI craze that's sweeping the land. Artificial intelligence: what even is it? How did it become such a popular trend? And what does it all mean for video games? One More Thing:  Kirk: Nope (2022) Maddy: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Jason: Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro by Dean Nelson Links:  Casey Newton’s newsletter, Platformer, and his podcast, Hard Fork Kevin Roose’s unsettling encounter with Bing/Sydney: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Resident Evil 4: it's remade! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason step into the shoes of himbo Leon Kennedy and take a trip to rural Spain to rescue the president's daughter in this remake of one of the most influential games ever made. One More Thing: Kirk: Tár Maddy: Misericorde: Volume One Jason: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Links: Mike Mahardy on RE4’s lasting legacy: https://www.polygon.com/23660168/resident-evil-4-remake-the-last-of-us-pc-hbo Kim Stanley Robinson’s extremely great 2020 interview on Ezra Klein about The Ministry for the Future: https://www.vox.com/2020/11/30/21726563/kim-stanley-robinson-the-ezra-klein-show-climate-change Dan Kois on the final act of Tár: https://slate.com/culture/2022/12/tar-cate-blanchett-movie-ending-explained-analyzed.html Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy have spent a whole bunch of time with Diablo IV! Well, act one of it. The Triple Click gang talks about their time with the beta, the classes they played, their overall thoughts, and much much more. After all, you can't click click click click click click click click click click click without triple click! One More Thing:  Kirk: The Ministry for the Future (Kim Stanley Robinson) Maddy: Metroid Fusion Jason: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone (Benjamin Stevenson) Links:  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag to answer some of YOUR burning questions. Do we ever return to side quests after beating a game? Can a game succeed while making you feel bad for playing it? And what kind of impact did the pandemic have on video game endings? Plus: Video game novels! One More Thing:  Kirk: New Morning Routine Maddy: Triangle of Sadness Jason: Unscripted by James Stewart and Rachel Abrams Links:  MaxFunDrive Livestream! Wednesday March 29, 8PM Eastern: https://www.twitch.tv/tripleclickpod Kirk’s 2013 interview with Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley about the ending to The Last of Us: https://kotaku.com/the-last-of-us-climactic-moments-could-have-been-very-600685013 The Writer Will Do Something: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time to follow Maddy's wishes and play Perfect Dark, the 2000 Nintendo 64 shooter (remastered for Xbox in 2010) developed by Rare. We put on our Joanna Dark night-vision goggles and shoot our way through office buildings and alien labyrinths. How does it feel to play Perfect Dark today? Is the lack of checkpoints too much of a challenge? And just what is up with Elvis? One More Thing:  Kirk: De-Inverting my Brain Maddy: Clue: Treachery at Tudor Mansion Jason: Paul T. Goldman Links:  Featuring tracks from Perfect Dark (2000) by Grant Kirkhope The jump Cate Archer in No One Lives Forever (2000) and in No One LIves Forever 2 (2002), which also added facial animation and lip-synching. Tell us why you like Triple Click! Email [email protected] or leave us a message at (323) 601-8719.  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Zelda! Diablo! Baldur's Gate! Final Fantasy! Maddy, Jason, and Kirk pull out the calendar and get overwhelmed by the number of massive games that are coming in the next few months. They talk about what to expect from the rest of 2023, some of the news that has happened so far, and whether or not this new console generation has been a disappointment so far. One More Thing:  Kirk: Slow Horses Maddy: Total Recall Jason: The Poppy War (R.F. Kuang) Links:  Tell us why you like Triple Click! Email [email protected] or leave us a message at (323) 601-8719.  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Featuring excerpts from Yasunori Nishiki’s Octopath Traveler 2 score  Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Octopath Traveler II has gotten Jason thinking of a brand new taxonomy... the two types of video game. This week, the gang talks about flow vs. thought, JRPG story-telling, the brilliance of Octopath Traveler II (and how it out-classes the first game), and mysteries in Metroid Prime, Elden Ring, and so much more. One More Thing:  Kirk: Cocaine Bear Maddy: Robocop Jason: Tracers in the Dark by Andy Greenberg Links:  Tell us why you like Triple Click! Email [email protected] or leave us a message at (323) 601-8719.  Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Featuring excerpts from Yasunori Nishiki’s Octopath Traveler 2 score  Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Hogwarts Legacy is a brand new video game set in the Harry Potter universe, which would have been a lot more exciting five years ago! Today, however, we have to reckon with the fact that Harry Potter's creator is a bigot. So let's reckon with it, shall we? Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about their personal relationships with Harry Potter, their thoughts on the new game, and whether this franchise can ever really be saved.  One More Thing:  Kirk: Ultra Widescreen Gaming Maddy: Below Deck Jason: Octopath Traveler 2 Links:  Gita Jackson’s review of Hogwarts Legacy: https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23603142/hogwarts-legacy-review-harry-potter-jk-rowling-transphobic-ps5-pc-xbox The Shrieking Shack podcast (it’s so good!): https://soundcloud.com/shriekingshack Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Nintendo surprised us all last week with a remake of Metroid Prime, so it's time for Triple Click to drop everything and play it. Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about Retro's classic first-person shooter: how influential it's been, what it does well, and where it goes wrong. One More Thing:  Kirk: South Side Maddy: Tár (2022) Jason: Psychonauts 2 documentary Links:  The Psychonauts 2 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhLvue17Sd70y34zh2erWWpMyOnh4UN_ Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Maddy, Kirk, and Jason board the USG Ishimura and figure out that not all is as it seems. And the Dead Space remake is pretty damn good. One More Thing:  Kirk: Hitman Freelancer Maddy: Animorphs #1 - The Invasion Jason: All Good People Here (by Ashley Flowers) Links:  https://www.polygon.com/guides/23585108/is-dead-space-scary-remake-jump-scares https://www.polygon.com/23588490/animorphs-book-pdf-audiobook-graphic-novel-movie-k-a-applegate Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/   🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk put on their Emblem rings and take a trip to the land of anime for Fire Emblem Engage, the latest entry in Nintendo's strategy-RPG series. They talk about the game's insipid dialogue, the terrible character art, and the pros and cons of grid-based combat. One More Thing:  Kirk: Hi-Fi Rush Maddy: Women Talking (2022) Jason: Poker Face Links: Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

And now for a subject near and dear to our hearts: Romance! Maddy, Kirk, and Jason talk about video game love stories and which games do them right (and wrong), from Mass Effect to Uncharted to Hatoful Boyfriend. Can a video game romance ever really work if it's based on dialogue options? Plus: impressions of the new Square Enix game Forspoken! One More Thing:  Kirk: Star Wars Imperial Assault: Legends of the Alliance (2017) Maddy: Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris Jason: Forspoken Links: Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

How can free-to-play games be fixed? What are the small details in games that annoy you? And is it censorship for a video game to have a gore filter? This week, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk crack open the mailbag and take some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things. Plus: the rise of the CASUAL WIFE. One More Thing:  Kirk: Avatar: The Way of Water Maddy: The Fabelmans Jason: New Simpsons Links: Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

There's nothing funnier than dissecting comedy, right? This week, Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about humor in video games, from Monkey Island to Dark Souls. They talk about what kind of games are funny, why they're funny, and the role that social media plays in the grand comedy equation. Plus: why "YOU DIED" is such a good punchline. One More Thing:  Kirk: Detectorists Maddy: Hey Arnold! Jason: The Menu Links: Triple Click Live at the Bellhouse!!!  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-tickets-513213584647 Heavy Rain “Press X to Shaun” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEK5VxDMMjo Kirk’s review of Octodad: Dadliest Catch: https://kotaku.com/octodad-dadliest-catch-the-kotaku-review-1512040710 “Octodad” by Ian McKinney Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What will the year bring? Time for some guesses! It's the episode you've all been waiting for... Jason, Kirk, and Maddy go through their predictions from 2022 to see who won the annual bet and whose game we'll all play. Then, the gang whips out some hot new predictions for 2023.  One More Thing:  Kirk: Defunctland’s “Disney Channel’s Theme: A History Mystery” Maddy: Metroid Prime on Steam Deck Jason: The Man Who Died Twice (Richard Osman) Links: Disney Channel’s Theme: A History Mystery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_rjBWmc1iQ Metroid Prime on Steam Deck: https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/25/23518873/metroid-prime-trilogy-valve-steam-deck-primehack-emudeck-emulation Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ PREDICTIONS KIRK Microsoft will not own Activision/Blizzard at the end of 2023Nintendo will announce a Legend of Zelda movieSomeone will announce a game that is being written by an AIGabe Newell will retire from ValveAmazon will buy RobloxHouse House will announce a sequel to Untitled Goose Game it will feature both a goose and another animalTwo games will include a menu toggle for NPC puzzle suggestionsThere'll be an Elden Ring TV seriesXbox Cloud Gaming will come to Nintendo SwitchAtlus will announce Persona 6, and the mascot character will be a dogBONUS: Disney will announce a video game consoleMADDY Princess Zelda will not be playable in Tears of the KingdomNintendo will announce a Zelda TV showFacebook and Meta will make a significant pivot due to the failure of Meta to take off with anyone ever (e.g., shutter VR entirely, acquire Twitter and lean hard into Twitter as the “new metaverse,” etc)The Switch 2 will be announced and will be called the Super Nintendo SwitchThe use of AI art will become normalized in game development to the extent that at least 3 major triple-A studios will use it in similar ways to High on LifeThree major games this year will be ones that we could reasonably call “mom games” (rather than “dad games”)Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will nod at the Spider-Verse and include Spider-Gwen as a playable characterSony or NIntendo or Valve will create a new cloud gaming competitor to xCloudNetfix will release an exclusive game for its mobile app that becomes extremely successful on the scale of Pokemon Go or Genshin ImpactThere will be a video game announced or even released involving a household smart tech item, like the Samsung Smart Fridge, etc.BONUS: Cloud and Sephiroth will kiss in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and/or Final Fantasy canonJASON At least three Final Fantasy games will come out, not counting portsSomeone will put out a video game created largely by AICivilization 7 will be announced and come outNintendo will announce and release a brand new 3D Mario gameEA will be acquiredTony Soprano will come to MultiversusOne of the major sports games (Madden, EA soccer, NBA 2K etc) will switch to a two-year cycleJim Ryan will be fired/step downThe Legend of Zelda will finally get LEGO setsBungie will announce and release a new gameBONUS: Hogwarts Legacy will have a hidden message saying "f--- you JK Rowling" 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It is time to see off 2022, as the Triple Click gang gathers to discuss the year's best games. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk each discuss their 10 favorite games of the year, plus an 11th bonus game that didn't come out this year. Which games took the top spots? Which made all three of our lists? And what are the biggest snubs? You'll have to listen to find out.  One More Thing: Kirk: White Lotus Maddy: Redefining Realness by Janet Mock Jason: Glass Onion Links: Richard Clark’s podcast “Videogame Feelings”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/video-game-feelings/id1616908609 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ GAMES OF THE YEAR Kirk: Signalis Elden Ring Immortality Citizen Sleeper Escape Academy Trombone Champ Vampire Survivors Marvel’s Midnight Suns Return to Monkey Island The Case of the Golden Idol Maddy: Elden Ring  Norco  Kirby and the Forgotten Land  Citizen Sleeper  Neon White  PowerWash Simulator  Return to Monkey Island  The Case of the Golden Idol  Pentiment  Marvel's Midnight Suns  Jason: Elden Ring Tactics Ogre Reborn Case of the Golden Idol Triangle Strategy The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Zero Return to Monkey Island Live A Live Chained Echoes The Quarry God of War Ragnarok 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Happy holidays! To celebrate, we got you an Elden Ring beanscast.  Three Consorts to the Lunar Princess gather ‘round the table and talk about their adventures in the Lands Between. If you like this bonus episode, become a Maximum Fun member and get access to 30+ more of em! https://maximumfun.org/join LINKS AND REFERENCES VaatiVidya on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VaatiVidya The Elden Ring Wiki (Fandom): https://eldenring.fandom.com/wiki/Elden_Ring_Wiki Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Sometimes you've just gotta play video games with Iron Man to unlock new cards that let you destroy Hydra, you know? This week, the TC gang dives into Marvel's Midnight Suns, a new game from XCOM developers Firaxis that could have also been called Marvel's Three Houses. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about the elaborate combat system, the wide-ranging cast of superheroes, and whether or not you can smooch Wolverine. (You cannot.) One More Thing:  Kirk: Interview With The Vampire Maddy: White Lotus season 2 Jason: Chained Echoes Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Put on your gAMER hats and get ready for Gaming's Biggest Night, presented by Video Games. This week marks the 2022 Game Awards, which means it's time for a barrage of advertisements and trailers. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about what to expect this week, what they're hoping to see, and the absurdity of some of this year's nominations. One More Thing:  Kirk: The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Maddy: The Steam Room call-in show with Ben Mora and Hesse Jason: Twitter Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

MYSTERIES: what are they? Who are they? WHO DID THEM??? This week, the Triple Click gang talks about mysteries in video games, from Return of the Obra Dinn to Elden Ring. What makes a good detective mechanic? What kind of mysteries can only be explored in games? And why is The Case of the Golden Idol so damn good? One More Thing:  Kirk: Signalis Maddy: Interview with the Vampire (2022 AMC+ TV series) Jason: The Legend of Mike White Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Happy Thanksgiving, hooray hooray hooray -- aren't you glad you got a new Triple Click on this Thanksgiving day? Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag and take listener questions on all sorts of things. Has the PS5's controller lived up to expectations? Which is the best pantheon of gods? And which games do we regret not finishing? One More Thing:  Kirk: Escape Academy  Maddy: The Case of the Golden Idol Jason: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Links: Kotaku emulation article: https://kotaku.com/metroid-dread-is-already-running-great-on-switch-emulat-1847833403 Kirk “idpl_mal” Hamilton’s article about his terrible PSN username: https://kotaku.com/i-still-hate-my-s****y-psn-name-1742215849 “Crowning Celebration” by Kyle Misko from The Case of the Golden Idol soundtrack Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Forget about that deadly meteor that's coming to kill us all — it's time to raise some farm animals! Inspired by God of War Ragnarok's plethora of optional content, this week the Triple Click gang talks side quests. What makes a good side quest? What are our favorites? And have we really come up with another taxonomy? Yes, yes we have.   One More Thing:  Kirk: Reservation Dogs S2 Maddy: New TV (LG OLED C1 Series 48” 4k Smart TV) Jason: Tactics Ogre Reborn Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ Some Sidequest Types: The Arena - A combat area that remixes enemy types from the broader gameThe Racetrack - A racing arena where you race. Cars, horses, ATVs, footrace, etc.The Tournament - A tournament for the in-game game. Gwent, Pazaak, etc.The Loyalty Mission - Basically a story mission focused on one of your party members/NPCs. Can have an impact on the story or the ending. The Collect-A-Thon - A sidequest you get early in a game that has you collecting a certain number of things. Collection can also mean destruction. Lots of subvarieties of thisBoss-a-Thon - A series of optional boss fights culminating in one very hard fight or maybe a rush against all of themThe Secret Sidequest - A quest that you didn’t even realize you were doing, but that eventually unlocks actual story material or alternate endingsHarder Puzzles, Please - Optional puzzles set right near the ones you had to do for the story, which are much more complicatedTreasure Map - Find this location, with this clue.Animal Farm - Basically chocobo breeding but I know there are other games that do thisMerchandise Spotlight - Master the ins and outs of a store or trading network with rotating items so that you can get all the itemsIt’s A Mystery - Solve a mystery of varying complexity, either by gathering clues or talking with witnesses. It is often possible to solve the mystery incorrectly The Ancient Dungeon - a big optional dungeon, often with 100 randomly generated floors, that exists just to let you spend more hours playingThe Fetch Quest - bring object A to person B, rinse, repeat. Can be a one-off or can gradually expand 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's got gods! It's got war! It's even got an umlaut. But how is God of War Ragnarök, as a game? Jason, Kirk and Maddy discuss. One More Thing:  Maddy:  Marvel Snap Kirk: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Jason: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Links: Kirk’s Strong Songs episode on Weird Al’s “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota”: https://strongsongspodcast.com/episode/the-biggest-ball-of-twine-in-minnesota-by-weird-al-yankovic Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for Triple Click Picks! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go through the podcast's irregularly updated list of games that they love and think everyone should play. Which games will be removed? What will be added? SUSPENSE!!! You'll have to listen to find out (or just read the full list in the episode notes). One More Thing:  Kirk: Physical Therapy Maddy: The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Jason: Tactics Ogre Reborn Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ Triple Click Picks: Disco ElysiumReturn of the Obra DinnHollow Knight Outer WildsHadesMetroid DreadBreath of the WildDivinity Original Sin IIPersona 5 RoyalElden Ring 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

This week, Triple Click planned to do a Triple Play on Gotham Knights... but it's just such a bummer. So instead, the gang talks about all the games they've been playing this fall, from the big (God of War Ragnarok) to the small (The Case of the Golden Idol) and everything in between. Games discussed: Gotham Knights, God of War Ragnarok, Star Ocean The Divine Force, The Case of the Golden Idol, Persona 5, Bayonetta 3, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Mario & Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Tactics Ogre Reborn, NBA 2K23 One More Thing:  Kirk: Unlock! Maddy: Derry Girls Jason: The New York Jets Links: Maddy’s Bayonetta 3 Review: https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23421409/bayonetta-3-review-platinumgames-nintendo-switch A Reddit Thread on Persona 5 Steam Deck Text: https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/y9xjxu/persona_5_the_royal_pixelated_text/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Let's summon our shadows and take a deep dive into Persona, the wonderful series about high school students fighting their inner demons — literally. With Persona 5 coming to multiple platforms this week and Personas 3 and 4 on the way, the Triple Click gang talks about what makes the series so special, teenage drama and all. Plus: Jason discovers a surprise Game of the Year contender! One More Thing:  Kirk: Star Wars: Andor Maddy: Hocus Pocus 1 + 2 Jason: The Case of the Golden Idol Links: Featuring tracks from Persona 4 and 5 by Shoji Meguro and the first three variants of the Star Wars: Andor theme by Nicholas Britell Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

What is it about cancelled games that make them so intriguing? What are the most heartbreaking video game cancellations? And what the heck just happened to Google Stadia? Jason, Maddy, and Kirk take a trip into the world of cancelled games, from Star Wars 1313 to Bully 2. One More Thing:  Kirk: The Tommyknockers Maddy: Street Fighter 6 beta Jason: Cabin Fever (Michael Smith, Jonathan Franklin) Links: Kirk’s 2015 story about No One Lives Forever: https://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind-a-dead-pc-game-that-cant-come-back-1688358811 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Kirk, and Maddy grab their rubber chickens with pulleys in the middle and jump into Return to Monkey Island, the lovely new game from the original creators of the classic adventure game series. They talk about the game's charming humor, how it modernizes the point-and-click interface, and what it's like to play a "legasequel" with so much baggage. Really: this game is wonderful! One More Thing:  Kirk: The Big Chill (1983) Maddy: Bayonetta (2009) Jason: Fairy Tale (Stephen King) Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason have an obsession: handheld gaming. This week, the gang talks about the Steam Deck, the Nintendo Switch, and how portable machines change the way games are played. From "together alone" gaming with significant others to late-night Switch sessions while feeding a baby, handheld game systems are just the best. One More Thing:  Kirk: Trombone Champ (Holy Wow Studios) Maddy: Rap Sh!t (HBO Max TV show) Jason: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's one of the biggest leaks in video game history: Over the weekend, a hacker released dozens of video clips from Rockstar's unreleased (and technically unannounced) game Grand Theft Auto VI. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the leak, the nature of reporting on situations like this, and the morality of leaks in general. Plus: the story of TheRealInsider, an insider who was not, in fact, real. One More Thing:  Kirk: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Maddy: The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection Jason: Return to Monkey Island Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their passports and get ready for a trip to Arztotska, the setting of Lucas Pope's brilliant 2013 game Papers, Please, which just came out for phones. They talk about the game's brilliant design, the moral questions it poses, and what it's ultimately trying to say. Who would've thought that being a border inspector could be so fun? One More Thing:  Kirk: The Rehearsal Maddy: Not Okay (2022) Jason: Long snappers Links: The famous “Aaron Burr” Milk commercial from 1993: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znGJf1ZKnTU The Papers, Please theme by Lucas Pope Caitlin Dickenson’s 2022 Atlantic expose on the U.S. child separation policy: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/09/trump-administration-family-separation-policy-immigration/670604/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull out their reading glasses for the very first Triple Read! This week, they discuss the brilliant novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, a decades-sprawling book about the epic journey of a boy and a girl from childhood friends to hit video game developers. The gang dives into the book's themes, its twists and turns, and all the fictional video games that make Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow such a joy to read. Plus: a tribute to our dear friend Mike Fahey. One More Thing:  Kirk: Immortality  Maddy: Nope (2022) Jason: Who is Maud Dixon? By Alexandra Andrews Links: In memory of Mike Fahey: https://kotaku.com/mike-fahey-kotaku-eulogy-obituary-senior-reporter-1849501728 A GoFundMe for Mike’s family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fahey-family-fund Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy:  https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Who would our dream interview be? What's a "game as a service"? And have you ever played a video game at the wrong time? This week we open up the listener mailbag and take some of YOUR questions on all sorts of topics. Plus: why Kirk and Maddy are replaying the same games over and over and over and... One More Thing:  Kirk: Persona 5 Royal Maddy: Assassin’s Creed Origins Jason: The Rehearsal Links: Featuring excerpts from “Crossing the Hill” by Hitoshi Sakimoto from FF Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, and “The Ideal and the Real” by Shoji Megoro from Persona 5 Royal Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason put on their Lamb Pope hats and check out Cult of the Lamb, a new video game that's part Hades, part Animal Crossing, and 100% gruesome animal cult. They talk about scooping up poop, sacrificing their followers and why Cult of the Lamb should've maybe been a little more like a real cult. One More Thing:  Kirk: Paper Girls  Maddy: A League of Their Own (TV series) Jason: Daredevil (2015 show) Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

This week, the Triple Click gang dives into the world of superhero video games. What makes for a good (and bad) superhero game? Why are Batman and Spider-Man such good protagonists for games? And hey, come to think of it, aren't all video games pretty much about superheroes? Plus: a special surprise! One More Thing:  Kirk: Alone Maddy: MultiVersus Jason: Better Call Saul Links: Tom Bissell on Batman: Arkham City: https://grantland.com/features/batman-arkham-city/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

It's time for a NEWS BREAK! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy go through this summer's big stories, from Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar changing its ways to Ubisoft falling apart to the wave of unionization hitting the games industry. Plus: delays, delays, and more delays! One More Thing:  Kirk: Prey (2022) Maddy: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (PC) Jason: The Quarry Links: Axios story about Blizzard’s new legal strategy: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/01/bungie-destiny-lawsuits-cheaters-harassers NYT story about Amazon employees unionizing: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/business/amazon-union-christian-smalls.html Maddy’s review of Spider-Man Remastered on PC: https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2022/8/10/23298573/spider-man-remastered-pc-review-steam-deck-cops-police-nypd-portrayal Kirk’s article about that lovely Spider-Man text message scene: https://kotaku.com/spider-man-s-text-message-scene-is-perfect-1829449521 Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

Xenogears? Xenosaga? Xenoblade? Just what is the deal with all of these Xeno-games? In honor of the recent release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for the Switch, Jason walks Kirk and Maddy through the long-running JRPG pseudo-series, from giant robots to anime swords. One More Thing:  Kirk: Stray Maddy: Misery (1990) Jason: Live A Live Links: Jason’s Kotaku review of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: https://kotaku.com/xenoblade-chronicles-2-the-kotaku-review-1820903229 Autumn Wright’s Polygon review of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23278797/xenoblade-chronicles-3-review-release-date-nintendo-switch-monolith-soft-hero-classes Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/products/maxf-tc-tclogo-sh Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀  SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch 💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD 🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy 📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch